Green Forms of Transportation

Introduction

Every day we are all made ??to move us ... without necessarily carrying the considerable weight of these movements on the environment. How can we ensure that our movements are as much as possible in harmony with nature and with the requirements of our work and our leisure time?The transportation sector is the second largest source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Canada, trailing only stationary sources, with a share of 23% of total emissions in 2008. From 2000 to 2008, transportation emissions grew at an average rate of 1.9% per year, while total GHG emissions grew by 0.3% per year, according to the Transportation in Canada 2010 report produced annually by Transport Canada. Transportation-related GHG emissions continue to increase, but air pollution emissions, such as particulate matter, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, have shown a steady decline due to regulatory initiatives and vehicle fleet renewal.

While Ottawa looks to introduce stricter emissions regulations for all transport modes, there is also indication that Canadian shippers are becoming more interested in green transportation practices. Environmental considerations are growing in importance when shippers look for carriers to haul their freight, the Canadian Industrial Transportation Association has found through its annual survey of members. For example, 40% of CITA members now say they consider environmental factors that reduce GHG emissions when selecting a service provider, compared to just 20% who said likewise just five years ago. And 60% are aware if their carrier uses hybrid or alternative fuel vehicles in its fleet and 47% take into consideration the age of the engines in their carrier's fleet(Bernard,1969).

Discussion

Green Intermodal Transportation-The most important form of Green Transportation

Recently, a growing number of cities have adopted new measures aimed at promoting a more sustainable form of intermodal transportation (also called “green intermodal transportation”) through carpooling, car sharing, and bike sharing.

Carpooling is mainly used in the United States and in Northern European countries: it consists of sharing a private car with a number of people who travel the same route to reach their individual places of work or study. In countries where this mode of transport is the most developed, there are designated gathering points for users that can be reached on foot, by bike, or by bus. The chief advantage of carpooling is that it reduces the number of cars in circulation.

Car sharing is a service offered by special car-hire companies. Generally speaking, car sharing enables users to book a car that they pick up at a special parking location. This may be defined as an intermodal form of transport, as users reach the parking points on foot or by public means (this depends on the distance between the individual home and the car park). Car sharing users pay an annual subscription fee in addition to the costs of use, based on the distances actually covered and on booking time. Notwithstanding the advantages for the environment created by car sharing (decrease in the number of cars in use, more efficient use of the ...