Pinthouse Pizza
Cars Are Probably More Energy-Friendly Than Buses
RECEIVED Thu., June 17, 2004
Dear Heidi Dues,
Your question is flawed ["Postmarks Online," June 4]. (What are travel options other than car?)
All forms of transportation require energy to operate (gas, diesel, coal, hydro, wind, solar, etc.). All sources of energy have some sort of "pollution" (i.e., destruction of global environment). Some examples: Wind pulls energy out of weather patterns, solar has factory waste, hydro reduces fish populations, and hydrocarbons you've mentioned.
Our society is built upon working and living fairly far apart. Few individuals have the choice to work within walking distance from where they live.
My car gets roughly 30 passenger miles per gallon of gas (I ride alone). As my gas-engine car has been regulated for years, pollution per passenger mile is fairly low. A diesel engine powering a train or bus will create significantly more pollution per mile, but if ridership is high enough, pollution per passenger mile should be less. An electric engine powering a car, train, or bus has the pollution of whatever created its electricity. (From a societal standpoint an electric engine powered by a coal-fired power plant may be the worst polluter.)
The pollution a car or rail creates per passenger mile is probably on the Web. With buses we should be able to get the numbers directly from Cap Metro. But I would hazard the guess, Cap Metro will not report their total amount of fuel purchased per year. Mostly because I've never heard of Cap Metro publishing this and therefore, my guess is, they are a significantly higher pollution source than a car per passenger mile.
So, regarding transportation and pollution, your question should be something like, "How do we, as a society, achieve the least total pollution for the most number of passenger miles traveled?"
Your question is flawed ["Postmarks Online," June 4]. (What are travel options other than car?)
All forms of transportation require energy to operate (gas, diesel, coal, hydro, wind, solar, etc.). All sources of energy have some sort of "pollution" (i.e., destruction of global environment). Some examples: Wind pulls energy out of weather patterns, solar has factory waste, hydro reduces fish populations, and hydrocarbons you've mentioned.
Our society is built upon working and living fairly far apart. Few individuals have the choice to work within walking distance from where they live.
My car gets roughly 30 passenger miles per gallon of gas (I ride alone). As my gas-engine car has been regulated for years, pollution per passenger mile is fairly low. A diesel engine powering a train or bus will create significantly more pollution per mile, but if ridership is high enough, pollution per passenger mile should be less. An electric engine powering a car, train, or bus has the pollution of whatever created its electricity. (From a societal standpoint an electric engine powered by a coal-fired power plant may be the worst polluter.)
The pollution a car or rail creates per passenger mile is probably on the Web. With buses we should be able to get the numbers directly from Cap Metro. But I would hazard the guess, Cap Metro will not report their total amount of fuel purchased per year. Mostly because I've never heard of Cap Metro publishing this and therefore, my guess is, they are a significantly higher pollution source than a car per passenger mile.
So, regarding transportation and pollution, your question should be something like, "How do we, as a society, achieve the least total pollution for the most number of passenger miles traveled?"
M.J. Taylor