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Sustainable transport refers to ways of transportation that are sustainable in terms of their social and environmental impacts. Components for evaluating sustainability include the particular vehicles used for road,water or air transport;the source of energy;and the infrastructure used to accommodate the transport. Transport operations and logistics as well as transit-oriented development are also involved in evaluation. Transportation sustainability is largely being measured by transportation system effectiveness and efficiency as well as the environmental and climate impacts of the system. Transport systems have significant impacts on the environment,accounting for between 20% and 25% of world energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. The majority of the emissions,almost 97%,came from direct burning of fossil fuels. In 2019,about 95% of the fuel came from fossil sources. The main source of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union is transportation. In 2019 it contributes to about 31% of global emissions and 24% of emissions in the EU. In addition,up to the COVID-19 pandemic,emissions have only increased in this one sector. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport are increasing at a faster rate than any other energy using sector. Road transport is also a major contributor to local air pollution and smog.
Climate change mitigation is action to limit climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases or removing those gases from the atmosphere. The recent rise in global average temperature is mostly due to emissions from unabated burning of fossil fuels such as coal,oil,and natural gas. Mitigation can reduce emissions by transitioning to sustainable energy sources,conserving energy,and increasing efficiency. It is possible to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by enlarging forests,restoring wetlands and using other natural and technical processes. Experts call these processes carbon sequestration. Governments and companies have pledged to reduce emissions to prevent dangerous climate change in line with international negotiations to limit warming by reducing emissions.
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI,pronounced "Reggie") is the first mandatory market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the United States. RGGI is a cooperative effort among the states of Connecticut,Delaware,Maine,Maryland,Massachusetts,New Hampshire,New Jersey,New York,Rhode Island,Pennsylvania,Vermont and Virginia to cap and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the power sector. RGGI compliance obligations apply to fossil-fueled power plants 25 megawatts (MW) and larger within the 12-state region. North Carolina is currently considering joining RGGI.
Front Range Passenger Rail is a proposed inter-city passenger train service along the Front Range and broader I-25 corridors in Colorado and Wyoming. Most proposals envision a route from Pueblo north to Colorado Springs,Denver,Boulder,Fort Collins,and usually Cheyenne. Extensions south to Trinidad,Albuquerque,and even El Paso have been discussed.
Jacob Joseph Lew is an American attorney and diplomat serving as the United States ambassador to Israel. He was the seventy-sixth United States secretary of the treasury from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party,he also served as the twenty-fifth White House chief of staff from 2012 to 2013 and as director of the Office of Management and Budget in both the Clinton administration and Obama administration.
The social cost of carbon (SCC) is the marginal cost of the impacts caused by emitting carbon emissions at any point in time. The purpose of putting a price on a tonne of emitted carbon or CO2 is to aid people in evaluating whether adjustments to curb climate change are justified. The social cost of carbon is a calculation focused on taking corrective measures to a "State of Nature",where there is evidence of market failure. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change suggested that a carbon price of $100/tCO2e could reduce global GHG emissions by at least half the 2019 level by 2030.
The United States produced 5.2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2020,the second largest in the world after greenhouse gas emissions by China and among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person. In 2019 China is estimated to have emitted 27% of world GHG,followed by the United States with 11%,then India with 6.6%. In total the United States has emitted a quarter of world GHG,more than any other country. Annual emissions are over 15 tons per person and,amongst the top eight emitters,is the highest country by greenhouse gas emissions per person. However,the IEA estimates that the richest decile in the US emits over 55 tonnes of CO2 per capita each year. Because coal-fired power stations are gradually shutting down,in the 2010s emissions from electricity generation fell to second place behind transportation which is now the largest single source. In 2020,27% of the GHG emissions of the United States were from transportation,25% from electricity,24% from industry,13% from commercial and residential buildings and 11% from agriculture. In 2021,the electric power sector was the second largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,accounting for 25% of the U.S. total. These greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to climate change in the United States,as well as worldwide.
The Colorado Department of Transportation is the principal department of the Colorado state government that administers state government transportation responsibilities in the state of Colorado. CDOT is responsible for maintaining 9,144 mile highway system,including 3,429 bridges with over 28 billion vehicle miles of travel per year. CDOT's Mission is "To provide the best multi-modal transportation system for Colorado that most effectively moves people,goods,and information." It is governed by the Transportation Commission of Colorado.
Climate change has led to the United States warming by 2.6 °F since 1970. The climate of the United States is shifting in ways that are widespread and varied between regions. From 2010 to 2019,the United States experienced its hottest decade on record. Extreme weather events,invasive species,floods and droughts are increasing. Climate change's impacts on tropical cyclones and sea level rise also affects regions of the country.
New Energy for America was a plan led by Barack Obama and Joe Biden beginning in 2008 to invest in renewable energy sources,reduce reliance on foreign oil,address global warming issues,and create jobs for Americans. The main objective of the New Energy for America plan was to implement clean energy sources in the United States to switch from nonrenewable resources to renewable resources. The plan led by the Obama Administration aimed to implement short-term solutions to provide immediate relief from pain at the pump,and mid- to- long-term solutions to provide a New Energy for America plan. The goals of the clean energy plan hoped to:invest in renewable technologies that will boost domestic manufacturing and increase homegrown energy,invest in training for workers of clean technologies,strengthen the middle class,and help the economy.
The White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy was a government entity in the United States created in 2008 by President Barack Obama by Executive Order that existed for a little over two years when it was combined with another presidential office in April 2011. The office was created in order to coordinate administration policy on energy and global warming. Under the Biden administration,has been succeeded by both the Office of Domestic Climate Policy and the Office on Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation.
A low-carbon fuel standard (LCFS) is an emissions trading rule designed to reduce the average carbon intensity of transportation fuels in a given jurisdiction,as compared to conventional petroleum fuels,such as gasoline and diesel. The most common methods for reducing transportation carbon emissions are supplying electricity to electric vehicles,supplying hydrogen fuel to fuel cell vehicles and blending biofuels,such as ethanol,biodiesel,renewable diesel,and renewable natural gas into fossil fuels. The main purpose of a low-carbon fuel standard is to decrease carbon dioxide emissions associated with vehicles powered by various types of internal combustion engines while also considering the entire life cycle,in order to reduce the carbon footprint of transportation.
Active mobility,soft mobility,active travel,active transport or active transportation is the transport of people or goods,through non-motorized means,based around human physical activity. The best-known forms of active mobility are walking and cycling,though other modes include running,rowing,skateboarding,kick scooters and roller skates. Due to its prevalence,cycling is sometimes considered separately from the other forms of active mobility.
The climate change policy of the United States has major impacts on global climate change and global climate change mitigation. This is because the United States is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world after China,and is among the countries with the highest greenhouse gas emissions per person in the world. In total,the United States has emitted over 400 billion metric tons of greenhouse gasses,more than any country in the world.
The Clean Power Plan was an Obama administration policy aimed at combating anthropogenic climate change that was first proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in June 2014. The final version of the plan was unveiled by President Obama on August 3,2015. Each state was assigned an individual goal for reducing carbon emissions,which could be accomplished how they saw fit,but with the possibility of the EPA stepping in if the state refused to submit a plan. If every state met its target,the plan was projected to reduce carbon emissions from electricity generation 32% by 2030,relative to 2005 levels,as well as achieving various health benefits due to reduced air pollution.
The environmental policy of the Donald Trump administration represented a shift from the policy priorities and goals of the preceding Barack Obama administration. Where President Obama's environmental agenda prioritized the reduction of carbon emissions through the use of renewable energy with the goal of conserving the environment for future generations,the Trump administration policy was for the US to attain energy independence based on fossil fuel use and to rescind many environmental regulations. By the end of Trump's term,his administration had rolled back 98 environmental rules and regulations,leaving an additional 14 rollbacks still in progress. As of early 2021,the Biden administration was making a public accounting of regulatory decisions under the Trump administration that had been influenced by politics rather than science.
The Marine Policy of the Barack Obama administration comprises several significant environmental policy decisions for the oceans made during his two terms in office from 2009 to 2017. By executive action,US President Barack Obama increased fourfold the amount of protected marine space in waters under United States control,setting a major precedent for global ocean conservation. Using the U.S. president's authority under the Antiquities Act of 1906,he expanded to 200 nautical miles the seaward limits of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument around the U.S. island possessions in the Central Pacific. In the Atlantic,Obama created the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument,the first marine monument in the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the Atlantic.
As the most populous state in the United States,California's climate policies influence both global climate change and federal climate policy. In line with the views of climate scientists,the state of California has progressively passed emission-reduction legislation.
The European Green Deal,approved in 2020,is a set of policy initiatives by the European Commission with the overarching aim of making the European Union (EU) climate neutral in 2050. The plan is to review each existing law on its climate merits,and also introduce new legislation on the circular economy,building renovation,biodiversity,farming and innovation.
The environmental policy of the Joe Biden administration includes a series of laws,regulations,and programs introduced by United States President Joe Biden since he took office in January 2021. Many of the actions taken by the Biden administration reversed the policies of his predecessor,Donald Trump.
References
- ↑ "Shoshana Lew confirmed as CDOT Executive Director". February 5, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ↑ Anderson, Patrick (December 27, 2018). "R.I. transporation [sic] official heads west". Providence Journal. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ↑ "Shoshana Lew, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program". The Brookings Institution. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ↑ "About CDOT Executive Director & Staff" . Retrieved December 2, 2020.
- ↑ "President Obama announces more key administration posts". The White House, President Barack Obama. September 18, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- 1 2 3 "Colorado Proposes Climate-Conscious Transportation Rules". Governing. October 13, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- 1 2 Woodruff, Chase (December 16, 2021). "Transportation Commission approves planning rule aimed at greenhouse gas cuts". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ Minor, Nathaniel. "A Climate-Friendly Shift In Transportation Planning Would Bring Economic Benefits Too, A New Report Says". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ "StackPath". www.masstransitmag.com. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ Walker, Alissa (December 17, 2021). "One State Is Showing Us How to End America's Addiction to Highway Expansion". Curbed. Retrieved December 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Shoshana Lew | RAQC". raqc.org. Retrieved December 20, 2021.