Overview
Modern transportation is a marvel from our fairly recent past that we often take for granted. The speed and relative safety of a car, plane, or train is astounding. And yet, as with so many of our technological advances, modern transport has huge drawbacks. Transportation was the number one sector in the U.S. responsible for greenhouse gas emissions as of 2019, at a staggering 29%, according to the EPA. This includes gas and diesel used for cars, trucks, planes, ships, and trains. Globally, that number was 14% per the IPCC.
But the transportation industry also provides a tremendous opportunity to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and help mitigate climate change. Electric cars are getting cheaper, and charging stations are becoming more plentiful. Better and faster means of public transportation are available in some areas, and cities are becoming increasingly bike-friendly. As a society, we need to invest heavily in making the switch away from transport that runs on fossil fuels and rethink the ways we move from place to place.
