Save the earth don't take the train
Maybe light rail isn't such a great idea. Instapundant reports:
THE INSTADAUGHTER AND I finished watching the latest Simpsons DVD collection yesterday. My favorite episode is Marge vs. the Monorail, which features this memorable Homer line: "Doughnuts! Is there anything they can't do?"
What's more, Marge's steadfast belief that the city would be better off funding road repairs than mass transit turns out to be environmentally sound:
Encouraging travellers to switch from cars and airlines to inter-city trains brings no benefits for the environment, new research has concluded.
Challenging assumptions about railways' green superiority, the study finds that the weight and fuel requirements of trains have increased to the point where rail could become the least energy-efficient form of transport. . . .
Assuming the continuing dominance of fossil fuel-based electricity, the study indicates that suitable French-style rolling-stock would require twice as much fuel per seat as a Volkswagen Passat, and more than a short-haul aircraft.
Or, in other words: "Save the planet. Jump into your car."
Maybe I should print up a bumper sticker with that slogan, and put it on my Passat!
However, what isn't concidered is that reduced congestion helps the cars on the roads run more efficiently. Although most electricity is created with fossil fuels, some is made with nuclear, wind and water. The Fossil fuels used tend to be those in wich are less utitilized than petroleum. Lignite and coal resources are not fully utilized, vast natural gas resources are yet untapped. Natural gas is also lean, and low in Greenhouse emisions.
1 Comments:
i'm confused - you said light rail but the article is about intercity rail.
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