Title: Driving Forces: Motor Vehicle Trends and Their Implications for Global Warming, Energy Strategies, and Transportation Planning
Abstract: This report discusses the global warming problem, shows how motor vehicles contribute to global warming and air pollution, and presents historic and projected vehicle use and carbon dioxide emissions. It concludes with four broad policy recommendations that would provide the foundations for a long-term transportation policy for the United States while gradually reducing the threats from petroleum-powered vehicles to the climate and air quality. Briefly, these are as follows: (1) Improve New-Vehicle Efficiency: Greatly improving new-vehicle fuel efficiency and encouraging the phaseout of older, less efficient cars and trucks would do much to reduce vehicular carbon dioxide emissions. Much of the technology needed to produce more efficient vehicles has already been demonstrated in ultra-efficient concept cars that get up to 100 mpg. (2) Make Transportation More Efficient: Convenient, affordable public transport would cut carbon dioxide emissions and also break up traffic gridlock, cut road fatalities, and make the air more breathable. Policies that encourage commuters to use van and car pools, buses, trolleys, and trains and discourage driving alone to and from work would make an enormous difference. Better traffic management could keep it moving, thus saving energy. (3) Cut Other Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Requiring advanced pollution controls on all vehicles would for a few decades limit growth in carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, and nitrogen oxide emissions. Cradle-to-grave controls on CFCs--the most potent greenhouse gases and also ozone-destroyers--are especially needed. (4) Create the Green Car of the Future: The world needs non-polluting cars that run on something other than fossil fuels, and the mass production of such cars ought to become a high priority in the United States, Japan, and Europe--the 3 leading auto-makers. Limited fuel storage restricts the range of today's hydrogen- and electricity-powered cars, but stepping up research could overcome constraints.
Publication Year: 1991
Publication Date: 1991-01-01
Language: en
Type: book
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Cited By Count: 35
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