Ships Solar Power Energy Generation Guide
Ships Transporting Emissions
By Gerard J Howson
We all know that trucks, planes, ships and trains use
massive amounts of fuel and spew large amounts of greenhouse
gases and other pollutants into the atmosphere. That
makes any type of freight shipping service a dirty and
extremely environmentally unfriendly business.
The environmental impact of shipping goods is significant
and the true costs are hidden in shipping tariffs and
product pricing. Until recently, businesses that rely
on the movement of products from location to location
have been unable to do much to change transport logistics,
yet the increase in climate and energy concerns has
caused green issues and solutions to become a
priority.
The environmental cost of moving goods and raw materials
can be far-reaching and significant. Let’s take a look
at cargo ships. Two-thirds of the goods purchased and
imported by U.S. consumers arrive by ship.
Sulfur Emissions From Oceangoing Boats
While oceangoing boats account for just 2 to 3 percent
of global fossil fuel consumption, they are responsible
for 16 percent of all sulfur emissions from petroleum
and 14 percent of the nitrogen emissions from fossil
fuels.
The reason is that cargo vessels run on bunker fuel.
Bunker fuel has up to 5,000 times more sulfur than diesel.
As a result, a single container ship can emit more pollution
than 2,000 diesel trucks.
Emissions From Trucks And Rail
Do not forget the impact of ground and air freight.
Truck and rail distributions make up about 17 percent
of all transport climate emissions. Over the past forty
years, freight vehicle miles have increased by more
than 50 percent, while fuel efficiency has grown only
around 12 percent.
The 35 billion gallons of diesel fuel used by truck
and train companies each year produce more than 350
million metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Aircraft With High Emissions At High Altitudes
Yet by far, the mode with the most fuel consumption
and green house gas emissions per ton would have to
be aircraft transportation. Not only are their emissions
high, they are amplified due to the high altitude where
they occur.
Although trucks account for around 6 percent of highway
miles driven in the United States, they make up a tenth
of all domestic oil consumption. They are also responsible
for 25% of smog-causing pollution. According to the
EPA, idling trucks and locomotives use 1.2 billion gallons
of diesel fuel a year and emit more than 200,000 tons
of nitrogen oxides.
Taking Action To Reduce The Impact Of Shipping
There are four things you can do as a consumer or business
owner to review your options and reduce the impact of
shipping on the environment. Try to avoid using air
freight. Not only is it expensive, but it consumes much
more fuel per traveled mile.
Ensure that shipments are consolidated. This slims
overall packaging and fuel use, and can lead to lower
shipping costs. Take an active role by calling shippers
on their environmental practices.
Buy Locally, Reducing The Need For Freight Transport
Encourage them to use idle-reduction devices, hybrid
vehicles and other cleaner technologies. By buying locally,
you force the creation of a neighborhood supply chain,
which cuts down on the need for shipping altogether.
A more efficient line of vehicles that significantly
improve fuel economy and reduce emissions are slowly
trickling into the market. Shippers are working to produce
low-emission, hybrid-electric delivery vehicles that
could become medium-duty truck fleets.
Efficiency comes from improving engines and decreasing
pollutants released from cargo ships, aircraft, trucks
and trains.
About the Author:
Gerard J Howson has written a number of articles on
solar power and renewable energy including
Portable Solar Power,
Solar Technology,
Solar Hot Water,
Solar Electric.
Gerard is working on more articles. Look out for new articles as they become available on this site.
Little Known Solar Facts.....
What is the initial cost of switching over to
using alternate energy?
Switching over depends on
what exactly you are switching.
Houses that have to be retrofitted using solar
panels to generate electricity can be quite costly.
Vehicles are cheaper to retrofit but require work.
The costs can vary for anything switched over.
The best way to get an estimated idea is to seek
out a contractor or mechanic that is for using
alternate energy sources.
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