Week 1 Flashcards
Define transport, transport systems, why transport is a derived demand, and environment.
Transport = system/means of conveying people or goods from place to place
Transport system = infrastructure and processes which fulfil demand for mobility of people and goods
Derived demand = transport demand usually consequence of demand for something else (commuting to work)
Environment = Conditions which surround something/someone, the natural world. Acts on organism to determine form and survival
Outline the impact pathway and equation
Transport activity -> energy consumption -> Emissions (eg kg of GHG) -> Atmospheric dispersion/processing -> Impact and response (climate/health) -> Monetary cost
Impact = Activity (km) x Energy intensity (kWh/km) x Emissions factor (kg/kWh) x Damage factor (depends on species, location, source, population etc)
Outline the Brundtland definition of sustainability
Sustainable development is a
development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet
their own needs.
Outline The Triple Bottom Line definition of sustainability
This framework, also called the “3 E’s”
(environment, equity, economy), holds
that to be sustainable an organisation
must consider the environmental and
social aspects of its actions as well as
economic returns.
Outline The Natural Step definition of sustainability
Sustainability is achieved when nature is not
subject to systematically increasing
(1) concentrations of substances extracted from
the earth’s crust,
(2) concentrations of substances produced by
society, or
(3) degradation by physical means; and, in that
society,
(4) human needs are met worldwide.
Outline the Ecological Footprint definition of sustainability
Living within the regenerative capacity of the biosphere, involves comparing the amount of land required to produce food and other goods for, and to absorb wastes from, society to the amount of land available.
Outline Graedel and Klee’s Sustainable Emissions and Resource Usage definition of sustainability
A sustainable activity can be quantified in the following steps:
1. Establish the available supply or limit of the chosen resource or product.
2. Choose a time period over which the use of the resource or creation of the product can not exceed the supply or limit (e.g., 50 years).
3. Account for recapture (e.g., recycling, sequestration).
4. Using this information derive the maximum acceptable rate of use or production and compare it to the current rate. If the current rate is higher than the maximum rate, it is unsustainable.
Outline Marshall and Toffel’s Sustainability Hierarchy definition of sustainability
The four levels of unsustainability are, in order of importance,
1. Actions that, if continued at the current forecasted rate, endanger the survival of
humans.
2. Actions that significantly reduce life expectancy or other basic health indicators.
3. Actions that may cause species extinction or violate human rights.
4. Actions that reduce quality of life or are inconsistent with other values, beliefs, or aesthetic preferences.
What is an external cost?
Cost not included in market price of goods/services being produced, not borne by those who create it
How do you internalise an externality?
Polluter pays principle - charge polluters with damage cost of pollution generated by them
What are some internal transport costs?
- Manufacturing costs of vehicle
- Fuel costs
- Tax paid to maintain infrastructure
- Insurance costs to cover damage/accidents
What are some external transport costs?
- Costs of congestion
- Some accident related costs are covered by government (e.g. emergency
services, healthcare) - Air pollution from vehicles that causes health effects healthcare costs
- Greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change and associated damage
costs (e.g. sea level rise, droughts) - Noise can affect property prices and also health effects
- Impact of accidents with fuel leaks (e.g. BP Deepwater Horizon) on water quality
and marine life
