Risks of Global Transportation

Toxic Contaminations from Transportation

One of the most dangerous perils of global transportation that remain unknown to many is toxic contaminations from the various modes of transportation. Rail, sea, road, air and pipeline transportation are wellsprings that discharge toxic contaminations as gases and particulate issues producing harm to nature and human wellbeing. The modes of transportation discharge toxic contaminations through emissions of greenhouse gases that are harmful to the world’s ecosystem and the environment. According to Awadallah & Fini (2013), global transportation accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions despite the steady decline of these emissions in the past two decades. Based on recent surveys, transportation is the fastest growing source of these gases in the United States.
Rail, sea, road, air and pipeline transportation emit greenhouse gases through the burning of fossil fuels that in turn increase in the release of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s Atmosphere. Pure carbon dioxide is odourless and colorless and is potentially a toxic contaminant that negatively affects the environment. Low concentration of this gas can be dangerous to human well-being since inhaling more than 7% of this gas is a major toxicological hazard to human beings (Gough, O’Keefe & Mander, 2014).
Greenhouse gases have been the major sources of climate change/global warming in the past few decades, which continues to affect environmental and human well-being. It is projected that if the emission of greenhouse gases through transportation continues at the current rate, there will be significant changes in global climate, which will in turn have long-term impacts on the environment and humans. While there have been attempts to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases including the development of electric cars, these initiatives have not addressed the issue completely. Bomford (2013) argues that electric cars have been found to have significant impacts on global warming in comparison to conventional cars. These impacts are attributable to the electricity utilized to manufacture these cars as well as those used in driving the car.
Global transportation has significant negative impacts on the environment given the paradoxical nature of the relationship between transport and the environment. While transportation support the increasing mobility demands for passengers and cargo across the globe, it has negative effects on the environment. As transportation activities contribute to increased levels of motorization and congestion, they act as the source of numerous environmental problems. According to Rodrigue, Comtois & Slack (2006), some of the major environmental impacts of global transportation and the environment include climate change, noise, air quality, soil quality, land take, water quality, and biodiversity. American Physical Society (2017) reports that all transportation modes that involve the consumption of petroleum-based fuels affect the environment through water and air pollution.
The impact of GHG emissions from the various modes of transportation is evident in the increase of diseases among various human populations across the globe. In the past few decades, there has been an increase in respiratory, cardiovascular, and lung cancer throughout the world. Moreover, human populations have experienced an increase in hypertension, asthma attacks, incidents, wounds, and deaths because of the perils of global transportation. Existing literature demonstrates that there is a strong link between road traffic noise and hypertension as well other health risks or diseases (Meline et al, 2015).
Expansion in Lung Cancer and Respiratory Diseases
As shown in the above section, the other peril of global transportation is expansion of diseases, which are brought by the increased emissions of greenhouse gases. Oils and fuels utilized in the various modes of transportation are causing the expansion in lung cancer and respiratory diseases, and in addition soil tainting. Air pollution emerging from the various modes of transportation contributes to adverse health impacts on human populations across the world. Some studies have shown a strong link between air pollution in urban centers and mortality (American Physical Society, 2017). The subsequent smog from air pollution lessens the average lifespan by approximately 2 years, which is an indicator of the adverse health effects of global transportation. Lung cancer and pulmonary diseases are among the mortality associations with urban air pollution. The danger of passing from lung cancer expanded with increasing debilitate introduction.
The toxic air pollutants from rail, road, pipeline, sea, and air transportation are linked respiratory and cardiovascular problems as well as lung cancer (Rodrigue, Comtois & Slack, 2006). One of these toxic pollutants is carbon monoxide, which is an unscented, drab, yet perilous gas. At the point when breathed in influences the circulation system, diminishes the accessibility of oxygen, and affects the bloodstream, which can be extremely dangerous to public health. The other toxic air pollutant from these modes of transport is Nitrogen Dioxide, which lessens lung function and influences the respiratory invulnerable safeguard framework and expands the danger of respiratory issues.
Additionally, spills of oil and fuel from vehicles defile the dirt that is utilized to develop the nourishment that individuals eat. This causes less prolific and beneficial soils. This essentially means that global transportation affects soil quality through soil contamination and soil erosion. For instance, coastal transportation facilities and activities have negative effects on soil erosion since they alter the scale and scope of wave actions. On the other hand, these modes of global transportation contribute to significant loss of productive and fertile soils through activities like highway development. Soil contamination, which affects the nourishment that people eat, occurs following the use of toxic materials in global transportation activities. Oil and fuel spills during these activities eventually enter the soil and impact soil fertility and productivity, which in turn affect agricultural activities.
Increase in Cardiovascular Disease, Heart Attacks, and Deaths
The utilization of transports is causing an expansion in cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and deaths. Global transportation is a source of chronic noise, which in turn generates stress that affects the cardiovascular system through enhancing the risk of hypertension and high blood pressure due to prolonged exposure. The expansion in the danger/risk of cardiovascular disease is also attributable to the operations of transportation infrastructures. Schwanen (2016) states that there have been increased public concerns on health in relation to the link between health and global transportation.
Transportation has been found to have a significant impact on health because the ease of access of various modes of transportation and their increased affordability has contributed to physically inactive lifestyles. Together with high-calorie food, the physically inactive lifestyles in car-oriented settings contribute to imbalances between energy intake and use among various human populations worldwide. This imbalance in turn endangers an individual’s health and well-being through increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. As a result, the utilization of transport enhances the danger of heart attacks due to the enhanced risk of cardiovascular disease or negative effects on the cardiovascular system. The increased risk of heart attacks due to utilization of various modes of transport is also attributable to the operations of these facilities in relation to the chemical involved. Chemical particles discharged by debilitate exhaust essentially increases the danger of heart attacks in generally fit grown-ups. The increased risk is attributable to the fact that people are increasingly vulnerable to inhaling chemical particles from transportation facilities and operations.
Furthermore, the use of various modes of transport has contributed to an increased risk of death. Actually, the utilization of roadway transportation has been a major wellbeing concern. Many have been injured or died because of vehicle accidents on the roadway. The other means of transport such as air and rail transportation have witnessed an increase in the number of incidents and accidents that have contributed to death. While some of these incidents and accidents are preventable, others are unpreventable and contribute to injuries and deaths of many people, which is one of the major perils of global transportation.
Apart from deaths through incidents and accidents, global transportation also contributes to deaths through generating severe health impacts as previously shown. Based on the findings of numerous studies, air pollution through emissions of soot and other diesel fuel particles could contribute to nearly 60,000 premature deaths annually in the United States (American Physical Society, 2017). The premature deaths occur because of cardiopulmonary diseases that are brought by the air pollution from global modes of transport like road transport.
Alternatives Modes of Transportation
As evident in this discussion, the conventional means of transport are associated with significant dangers and risks to the world’s ecosystems and human populations. These modes of transport affect the environment and human populations through emitting greenhouse gases and other toxic pollutants. Consequently, the identification of alternative modes of transport that do not emit these gases has been considered as a critical measure towards addressing the perils of global transportation. The development of alternative modes of transport is also considered critical towards enhancing environmental well-being and protecting human populations throughout the world.
Solar Powered Vehicles
One of the alternative modes of transport is solar powered vehicles may eliminate the health and mature concerns from transportation emissions. These types of vehicles are considered to the future of energy because they harness energy from the sun and convert it into electricity. They are considered as one of the alternatives because they are not dependent on energy from the conventional sources of energy like the conventional modes of transport (LeBeau, 2014). Once they harness solar energy, the solar powered vehicles convert into electricity, which is utilized to fuel the battery and the car’s motor.
The suitability of solar powered vehicles as an alternative to the conventional modes of transportation is attributable to the fact that solar powered vehicles have practically no contamination discharges. Additionally, they have no noise pollution since they work silently in comparison to conventional vehicles that utilize traditional sources of energy, particularly petroleum-based fuels. Therefore, the use of solar powered vehicles would help address some of the major perils of global transportation and enhance environmental well-being while protecting human populations.
However, there are some major issues facing this alternative mode of transport that could hinder their widespread adoption and use. One of these major issues is that these vehicles are extremely unrealistic for significant excursions. Secondly, sunlight-based vitality is just acquired amid daytime and for the most part during clear skies. Therefore, it would be relatively difficult to utilize these vehicles for transport during the night or when there is no sunlight.
Electric Vehicles
The second probable alternative to the conventional modes of transportation is electric vehicles, which are viewed by governments as important ways for reducing emissions and global warming (Bomford, 2013). This consideration is attributable to the fact that what comes out of electric vehicles is totally clean and could have minimal to no environmental impacts. However, the strategy for electric era is through coal or oil fuel, which implies that electric vehicles can likewise add to gas contaminations. Actually, the environmental benefits of these vehicles have been the subject of increased scrutiny. Based on recent studies, electric vehicles could have more impacts on global warming in some circumstances as compared to conventional vehicles (Bomford, 2013).
The negative environmental impacts of electric vehicles are linked to the energy intensive manufacturing processes. These energy-intensive processes imply that the production of electric vehicles would nearly double the effect on global warming as conventional vehicles. The energy-intensive processes are linked to the required raw materials and energy to develop lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. The environmental benefits of electric vehicles are also significantly reduced when driving them because of their dependence on electricity from coal, the most polluting method of generating energy (Bomford, 2013).
In light of the limitations of both solar powered and electric vehicles, there is need for the transportation sector to identify the most suitable way of addressing the perils of conventional modes of transportation. However, pursuing and improving on these arrangements would only be a step in the correct direction, instead of just not doing anything by any means.
Most Suitable Solution
A carbon cost for organizations and buyers to use low-carbon impression vehicles is the best answer for the issue. Carbon cost for organizations and buyers should be enforced through establishing a carbon tax that is geared towards promoting the use of low-carbon impression vehicles. A carbon tax is taxation for the environmental costs of fuel consumption depending on the carbon content in the fossil fuels (Awadallah & Fini, 2013). The main objective of establishing carbon taxes is to indirectly promote energy conservation and reduction in the emissions of greenhouse gases. Such taxes achieve this major objective through encouraging consumers to utilize different strategies for energy conservation in order to lessen the carbon taxation costs.
However, the carbon tax should be combined with technical enhancements in the transportation sector in order to lessen air pollution and mitigate its effects on the environment. According to the American Physical Society (2017), technical improvements are suitable to address the issue when combined with market push effects like financial incentives and tax. Carbon taxes should be enforced on transportation manufacturers and organizations as well as buyers to help in pollution prevention and pay for environmental clean-up and green technologies that are crucial for lessening the perils of global transportation.
Together with technical improvements, carbon taxes have numerous advantages in addressing the problems associated with the conventional means of global transportation. Carbon tax results in an expansion of vehicle efficiency and diminishes in travel separations. This causes a lower general vehicle outflows. The decrease in travel remove lessens roadway blockage and the discharging of vehicle debilitate.
One of the benefits associated with the use carbon tax as the best answer to this issue is numerous environmental benefits. This arrangement will in a roundabout way empower ozone harming substance lessening. Thus, including the lessening of human medical issues and natural harms. Secondly, carbon taxes generate necessary revenues that can be channeled into suitable policymaking initiatives and objectives as well as technical improvements in the transportation sector that addresses the present concerns.
References
American Physical Society (2017). Transportation and Energy Issues. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.aps.org/policy/reports/popa-reports/energy/transportation.cfm
Awadallah, F., & Fini, E. H. (2013). Transportation Global Environmental Impact. Institute of Transportation, 83(9), 43-46. Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy1.apus.edu/docview/1435644121?accountid=8289
Bomford, A. (2013, April 11). How environmentally friendly are electric cars? - BBC News. Retrieved September 19, 2017, from http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-22001356
Gough, C., O’Keefe, L., & Mander, S. (2014). Public Perceptions of CO2 Transportation in Pipelines. Energy Policy, 70, 106-114. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2014.03.039
LeBeau, P. (2014, January 2). Ford Develops Solar Powered Car for Everyday Use. CNBC. Retrieved September 26, 2017, from https://www.cnbc.com/2014/01/02/ford-develops-solar-powered-car-for-everyday-use.html
Méline, J., Hulst, A. V., Thomas, F., & Chaix, B. (2015). Road, Rail, and Air Transportation Noise in Residential and Workplace Neighborhoods and Blood Pressure (RECORD study). Noise & Health, 17(78), 308-319. doi:10.4103/1463-1741.165054
Rodrigue, J.-P, Comtois, C., & Slack, B. (2006). The Geography of Transport Systems. Retrieved from https://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/gallery/Geography%20of%20Transport%20Systems_1ed.pdf
Schwanen, T. (2016). Geographies of Transport I. Progress in Human Geography, 40(1), 126-137. doi:10.1177/0309132514565725