Significance of Land Transportation - Research Paper

Introduction

In the contemporary setting, the transport system is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. It means that every aspect of intermodal transportation that includes land, air, and water are subject to the effects of global warming that at time include flooding, a severe reduction in visibility, and the subsequent destruction to the laid down infrastructure. The pursuit of climate change measures by the government of the United States and by extension, the governments of the world will influence land transportation more than water and air transport systems. The land transport, which mainly includes the rail and road networks, will withstand the worst conditions of one or several changes in the climatic conditions that may include but not limited to extreme precipitation, hotter summers, the rise of the sea level, and the increase of storms across the globe. Therefore, there is the need for anticipation for possible changes in the climatic conditions. There should be changes in the infrastructure design and maintenance since extreme weather has the propensity of accelerating the depreciation and the deterioration of rails and roads. Additionally, certain risks such as accidents and traffic interruptions, which affect the economic activities, are some of the negative effects of infrastructural damages. The changing exposure to climate change and the ensuing policy debate across the globe will certainly affect rail and road infrastructure (land transportation) more than any other form of intermodal transportation.

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The Role of Land Transport in Advancing Global Warming

Land transportation is responsible for the emission of a large fraction of greenhouse gases (GHG) that specifically originate from burning petrol, gasoline, and other petroleum products. In the United States, the road and rail networks account for more that 70% of the total GHG emissions from the transport systems (Beltran-Esteve & Picazo-Tadeo, 2015). Therefore, the pursuit of the carbon negative environment requires the enactment of policies and regulations that will endure reduced or limited dependence on petroleum products. It is worth noting that the US rail and road system depend heavily on imported fuel, mostly from politically unstable countries, which then gives credence to the fact that there is a connection between national security, energy security, and climate change. The prevalent use of petroleum products in the land intermodal transport networks also leads to the emission sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, and substances responsible for carbon monoxide and photochemical smog (Stevenson et al., 2016). The policies or the regulations to reduce the emission of GHG in the land transport sector will definitely have greater benefits to the environment.

Road transport has two categories namely the transport of goods and the transport of people from one geographical location to the next. Notably, the movement of people accounts for more than 70% of the total emissions realized in the sector. The main vehicles involved in the transportation of people are the light trucks and automobiles that account for over 90% of the total passenger miles. On the other hand, the railroads and the trucks dominate the movement of people, and are responsible for significant amount of emissions as well. There is need to reduce the emission of GHG to reduce the effects of global warming in the future. Therefore, the future measures (policies) should focus on reduction of transpiration activities, shift the modes of transportation, reduce the emission of GCG, and possibly shift the mode of transportation activities to reduce the volumes of emission.

Effects of Global Warming Policies on Road Transportation

Climate change or global warming will certainly affect roadways, vehicles, ice roads, and the railways. The unprecedented higher temperatures will cause the softening of the pavements and subsequently translate into expansion of the roads. Such may result into the creation of potholes and rutting, especially in regions that experience high traffic and areas with bridge joints. The heat waves, which have direct links with global warming, normally hinder construction activities, particularly in areas known for high humidity. The changes mean that the cost of constructing roads and railways would be relatively higher (Beltran-Esteve & Picazo-Tadeo, 2015). Additionally, the maintenance cost would also be higher. On the other hand, certain areas cold experience significant reduction in the construction costs and possible improved mobility due to the reduction in the snowfalls and the reduced frequency of the winter storms. Warmer winters normally lead to reduced ice removal activities, snow removal, and salting activities. The policies and regulations should provide for the increased cost of road construction and maintenance in the United Sates as well as internationally.

The projection is that global warming will likely lead to the concentration of rainfall that will eventually lead to more intense storms. The heavy rains will probably lead to flooding that could disrupt traffic wash away the culverts, and delay the construction activities. The exposure to extreme snow and flooding reduces the life expectancy of the roads and the highways. It means that the stress exerted by such climate conditions on the roads will require more maintenance, rebuilding, and repairs that cost more money. The most affected areas with the flooding phenomenon will be the coastal areas that are quite susceptible to permanent and frequent flooding. Currently, global warming is responsible for the exposure of close 600, 00 mile of the US coastal highways and roads to flooding; meaning that the problem could be worse in the future is the contemporary trend continues (Peters, Aamaas, Lund, Solli & Fuglestvedt, 2011). The costal waves and flooding will certainly destroy the infrastructure if the trend goes unchecked. It is worth noting that the coastal highways from crucial routes for evacuation. It means that the government needs to pass policies to protect such critical infrastructure since they are vital during emergencies. In certain regions, warmer winters tend to cause higher degrees of precipitation that then fall as rain and not the usual snow. The lack of stringent measures to curb the seemingly growing problem of global warming is responsible for the rampant landslides that arise from the saturation of the soil with water. The threat to the infrastructure is real and the policies should aim at eliminating the problems.

Global warming has devastating effects on ice roads that often leads to loss of property, destruction of infrastructure, and loss of lives in extreme cases. For example, the ice roads in stats like Alaska require freezing temperatures to serve their intended purposes. The froze routes in Alaska are quite helpful in connecting various gas, mining, and oil industries as well as the communities that stay in the north. The fragile tundra found beneath the ice surface means that the roads are seasonal since they are only functional when the grounds are frozen. As state earlier, global warming leads to the rise in temperature (Wen, Siong & Noor, 2015). Such an occurrence will then makes the roads impassable, which will then limit the transportation prospects in the affected areas. Closely related to that is the fact that global warming also affects the vehicles not just the roads. The increase in the temperatures leads to the overheating of many vehicles and the deterioration of the tires. Such occurrences will be costly to the industry not just because of the maintenance costs that they portend but also the interruptions to the economic flow that will then cause losses to various business establishments.

The impact of global warming on the railways transportation is equally devastating and requires stringent policies and measures. Higher temperatures normally cause the buckling and expansion of rail tracks. To avoid the derailment of trains, particularly during sever temperatures, the tracks often require speed restrictions and frequent repairs. As mentioned earlier, global warming leads to heavy precipitation, that then leads to disruption and delays of the movement of people and goods that depend on the railways. Additionally, the frequent incidents of hurricanes and other serious storms stem from global warming. The hurricanes and the storms leave heavy debris on the railway thereby disrupting or preventing any possibility of using such modes of transportation. Just like rods, the railways also face inundation form the rise in the sea levels and the surges in storm occurrences (Beltran-Esteve & Picazo-Tadeo, 2015). Such is quite common in the cases of underground tunnels and pathways that in most cases fall below the sea level. To avoid such damages in the future, government or international policies will require the construction of subway infrastructure and railways to be raised or rebuilt above the current ones to avoid any possible devastation.

The Significance of the Land Transportation to the Global Warming Debate

There is an urgent need for land transportation, and any other form of transportation to adapt to the problem of global warming, the rise of the sea level, flooding, rains, and relatively higher temperatures. The threats posed by the mentioned phenomena are at the centre of policy-making since road transportation forms the backbone of the US economy and by extension the global economy. In this regard, the intended policies and regulations should focus on the reduction or the elimination of GCG emission, which means that the focus should be on environmental friendly sources of power such as electricity and solar energy (Beltran-Esteve & Picazo-Tadeo, 2016). Moreover, the debate should attempt or advocate for the manufacture of vehicles that consume less fuel, but has levels of efficiency or performance. The current mode of road and rail transportation largely depends on petroleum, which is the leading producer of GCG when burnt. Focusing on alternative energy sources and more efficient engine designs should form the centre of the global warming debate. Land transportation is at the center of the debate since most countries depend on road and railways transportation, meaning that is the most mode of transportation.

Conclusion

The pursuit of climate change measures by the global governments will influence land transportation more than water and air transport systems. The land transport, which mainly includes the rail and road networks, will withstand the worst conditions of one or several changes in the climatic conditions that may include but not limited to extreme precipitation, hotter summers, the rise of the sea level, and the increase of storms across the globe. Reducing global warming and its effects require the enactment of policies and regulations that will endure reduced or limited dependence on petroleum products. The prevalent use of petroleum products in the land intermodal transport networks will lead to further global warming or climate change that is devastating to the environment, the economy, and other aspects of human life. Formulating and implementing policies and regulation should focus on reduction of global warming through the application of efficient and sustainable strategies.

References

Beltran-Esteve, M., & Picazo-Tadeo, A. J. (2015). Assessing environmental performance trends in the transport industry: eco-innovation or catching-up? Energy Economics, 51, 570-580. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140988315002418

Peters, G. P., Aamaas, B., T. Lund, M., Solli, C., & Fuglestvedt, J. S. (2011). Alternative "global warming" metrics in life cycle assessment: a case study with exis...