Introduction to Transport Flashcards
The largest emitting sector of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2017
Transport
How much are traffic levels forecast to rise by 2050
17%-51%
The average car journey taking 17 minutes in 2015 is predicted to take how long in 2050?
20 minutes
How much are tailpipe CO2 emissions from road vehicles expected to reduce by 2050?
17%-76%
Main transport problems we are facing today
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.
3 main types of transport solutions
Technical, behavioural and political
Technical transport solutions
Electrification Automation New energy sources New materials New transport modes
Behavioural transport solutions
Change to active transport
Change to less polluting modes
Working from home
Political transport solutions
Awareness raising
Stimulation of more sustainable transport
City planning
Road planning
Climate
The average weather at a given point and time of year over a given period.
Climate Change
If the climate doesn’t remain constant we call it climate change.
The Greenhouse Effect
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.
What five gases make up the atmosphere?
Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, noble gases and water vapour.
Name the four greenhouses gases
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases.
What human activities release greenhouse gases?
Air transport Coal mining Thawing permafrost Oil production Fertilisation Land transport Landfills Industrial processes
Hottest month on record?
July 2019
Main climate change denier arguments
The climate has changed before.
It is all down to the sun.
The earth is cooling.
Antarctica is gaining ice.
Impacts of increased greenhouse gas concentrations
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.
Why is the rate of progress as important as the end target date when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions?
It is an accumulative total - the pace is important so a rapid start is critical.
What does UNFCCC stand for?
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Goal of the 2015 Paris Agreement
Hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2oc and limit the temperature increase to 1.5oc.
Main issue with the 2015 Paris Agreement
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.
Potential negative emissions technologies
Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS). Afforestation/Reforestation Increased soil carbon storage (SCS) Biomass to Biochar Direct Air Capture (DAC)
