Robust Criteria for Sustainable Development: How to Lie with Transport Statistics

摘要: One of the difficulties in formulating effective residential sustainability policies is that it requires information on current resource consumption. It also predictions future technological developments and manner which they may be used. These facilitate comparisons between competing policy scenarios. Much discourse developing more sustainable cities relies patterns consumptions with little regard for sensitivity those results to very small changes technology or behaviour. For example, reported CO2 emissions reduction by switching from car travel light rail negated recent availability electric cars. The apparent alternative technologies erroneously because different forms energy are often assumed comparable their heating values alone, ignoring thermodynamic practical limitations converting fuel types. Many authors have diesel (for transit buses) electricity rail) can converted 100% efficiency each other based content. They concluded was efficient than buses. This paper questions results. benefits over buses cars conflated higher motors compared combustion engines. A result found where versions these modes transport compared. In US, trolley bus use 210 236 watt-hours per passenger kilometre travelled (Wh/PKT), respectively. Travel were approximately half: 118 132 Wh/PKT, devious researcher, this shows variation US state averages allows freedom ‘find’ capita greenhouse gas 0.1 697.7 gCO2/PKT.