Introduction to Transport

Question 1

The largest emitting sector of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2017

Answer 1

Transport

Question 2

How much are traffic levels forecast to rise by 2050

Answer 2

17%-51%

Question 3

The average car journey taking 17 minutes in 2015 is predicted to take how long in 2050?

Answer 3

20 minutes

Question 4

How much are tailpipe CO2 emissions from road vehicles expected to reduce by 2050?

Answer 4

17%-76%

Question 5

Main transport problems we are facing today

Answer 5

Road congestion
Energy consumption
Climate change - rising of sea levels and more extreme weather.
Local air pollution - severely affects children (lung problems).
Road accidents
Noise pollution
Visual impacts of transport and infrastructure - bridges, roads, railways, monorails etc.
Issues related to pedestrians - fear, intimidation, severance of communities with roads.
Electric car batteries - unethical mining (60% of cobalt is from kids in Congo).
Life cycle effects - tyre mountains, retired planes, scrap yards, you cannot recycle everything.

Question 6

3 main types of transport solutions

Answer 6

Technical, behavioural and political

Question 7

Technical transport solutions

Answer 7

Electrification
Automation
New energy sources
New materials
New transport modes

Question 8

Behavioural transport solutions

Answer 8

Change to active transport
Change to less polluting modes
Working from home

Question 9

Political transport solutions

Answer 9

Awareness raising
Stimulation of more sustainable transport
City planning
Road planning

Question 10

Climate

Answer 10

The average weather at a given point and time of year over a given period.

Question 11

Climate Change

Answer 11

If the climate doesn’t remain constant we call it climate change.

Question 12

The Greenhouse Effect

Answer 12

Solar radiation - planet’s atmosphere contains greenhouse gases - solar radiation passes through the gases, some is absorbed as heat - solar radiation warms the surface of the earth, heat from that and the earth’s core rises from the surface - some heat is able to pass through the gases - more heat is absorbed and remains in the atmosphere adding to the overall temperature.

Question 13

What five gases make up the atmosphere?

Answer 13

Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, noble gases and water vapour.

Question 14

Name the four greenhouses gases

Answer 14

Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.

Question 15

What human activities release greenhouse gases?

Answer 15

Air transport
Coal mining
Thawing permafrost
Oil production
Fertilisation
Land transport
Landfills
Industrial processes

Question 16

Hottest month on record?

Answer 16

July 2019

Question 17

Main climate change denier arguments

Answer 17

The climate has changed before.
It is all down to the sun.
The earth is cooling.
Antarctica is gaining ice.

Question 18

Impacts of increased greenhouse gas concentrations

Answer 18

Increase in air temperatures.
Shrinking of glaciers, snow and ice-covered areas.
40% decline in Arctic sea-ice thickness.
Later freezing and earlier break-up of river/lake ice.
Global mean sea level rise of 0.1-0.2 m/yr over the 20th century.
An increase in heavy precipitation events.
Longer growing seasons at mid to high latitudes.

Question 19

Why is the rate of progress as important as the end target date when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions?

Answer 19

It is an accumulative total - the pace is important so a rapid start is critical.

Question 20

What does UNFCCC stand for?

Answer 20

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Question 21

Goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement

Answer 21

Hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2oc and limit the temperature increase to 1.5oc.

Question 22

Main issue with the 2015 Paris Agreement

Answer 22

Is an extra 1.5 or 2oc safe? An extra 0.5oc could see global sea levels rise 10cm more by 2100. The difference between 1.5 and 2 is likely to be decisive for the future of coral reefs.

Question 23

Potential negative emissions technologies

Answer 23

Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS).
Afforestation/Reforestation 
Increased soil carbon storage (SCS)
Biomass to Biochar 
Direct Air Capture (DAC)