The Impact of Transportation on the Environment - Essay Example

Environmental Studies Introduction The paper revolves around discussing the impact of transportation on the environment. The issue of environment and transportation is contradictory in nature since transportation provides substantial economic benefits but at the same time the transportation is affecting the environmental system through pollution of air, From one side it can be taken into consideration that transportation activities supports the increasing mobility demands of freight and passengers while on the other hand the transport activities are closely associated with the increasing level of externalities in the environment. Therefore, it has reached a point where transportation is considered as the dominant source of emission of the pollutants and their multiple impacts on the environmental systems. The impact of the transportation industry on the environment can be classified into three categories such as direct impact, indirect impact and cumulative impact. Direct impact deals with immediate consequences of transportation activities on the environment where the cause and effect relationship is clearly specified or explained. Indirect impact explains the secondary impact or effect of the transportation activities on the environment. The consequences of the indirect impact are higher as compared to the consequences of direct impact of transportation on the environment but the relationship between the direct and the indirect impact of the transportation on the environment is difficult to establish. Cumulative impact can be considered as the multiplicative, additive or synergic consequences of transportation activities on the environment. The cumulative impacts take into consideration the varied or different impacts of the transportation on the ecosystem which are generally unpredictable in nature. The transportation industry selected for discussion in this paper is trucking industry. The trucking industry is often subsidized by public sector especially through the maintenance and construction of road infrastructure which is generally free of access. In developed countries the environmental regulations have been imposed by the government to reduce the emission of individual vehicles. The environmental impact of transportation system includes automobile oriented urban sprawl and traffic congestion. In order to reduce the adverse impact of the transportation activities on the environment, the trucking companies in United States have focused on the implementation of go green concept. The two trucking companies selected for discussion in this paper are Swift transportation and C& K trucking. The transportation activities have resulted in the growing level of congestion and motorization. Discussion Impact of the industry on the environment The trucking industry is responsible for increasing the environmental cost. Modern regulations and efficient technologies mainly aim to reduce or decrease the environmental cost. The pollution caused from trucking is emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases released by burning fuel. The trucks in America travel a total of 93,512,000,000 miles per year that is thousand times more than the distance from the earth to the sun. Trucking industry acts as leader in the transportation industry as a whole and the transportation sector is responsible for almost a third of emission of carbon dioxide in U.S. Although the trucking industry is not eco-friendly in nature, the market share of the trucking industry is likely to grow in the near future since there are many places where the rail and water transport is not available. The main factor responsible for pollution caused by the trucking industry is emission of carbon dioxide and greenhouse gases which is released by the burning fuel. Small quantities of other pollutants, some of which are greenhouse gases are released from the tailpipe. Cleaner burning fuel as well as better maintained engines can reduce these pollutants (Aronsson & Brodin, 2006). The burning fuel increases the environmental cost that pollutes the bottom line of the trucking industry. The emission of the harmful gases by the trucking industry leads to the change in the climate, change in the air quality, noise pollution and change in the quality of water and soil. Measures adopted by the industry In order to reduce the emission of harmful gases and to prevent or safeguard the environment, the trucking companies are working to improve the fuel efficiency by improving the behavior of the driver, routing and maintenance of the vehicle. Trucking companies are already shrinking its carbon footprint by progressively improving the fuel efficiency. Large number of trucks possesses the alternatives for shifting to alternative fuels such as biodiesel (Demirbas, 2007). Since the trucking companies can invest for improving their own infrastructure therefore the private drivers and the smaller companies can take advantage of new options available to them. Biodiesel normally releases as much carbon dioxide as traditional fuel does. But since it is made of plant matter, the carbon content comes out of it automatically. In order to overcome the environmental issues, the American Trucking Association continues to identify and monitor the issues that might increase the environmental concern in the long run. The increase flexibility in the size and the weight of the trucks is considered as the potential for reducing congestion and consumption of fuel in order to mitigate the environmental issues. The government has identified that since trucking industry directly and indirectly increases the environmental concern and problems therefore environmental policies for transportation is required to be implemented in order to reduce the adverse effect of the trucking industry on the environment. Thus trucking has a significant ways of environmental externalities. Few of these externalities can be rationally measured while the rests are under speculation. The externalities takes place in different geographic scales and some may overlap the other (Page, 2015). The bottom line is that better trucking practices such as use of fuel efficient vehicles tend to reduce or minimize the environmental externalities that are likely to have positive social, economic and environmental consequences. Numerous trucking companies in United States are adopting eco-friendly measures in order to overcome the problem. They are focusing on new sustainable way of life. As the customers started to increase their awareness on all green related issues and problems, therefore they are looking forward for the trucking companies that follow their concepts and belief in creating a better and sustainable environment. Now-a-days various trucking companies have started to adopt and implement a wide variety of sustainable practices that allows or facilitates them to become less dependent on fossil fuel, thus decreasing their carbon footprint as they hail from one location to another. The switch or the transformation to the energy efficient measures and renewable energy not only saves few dollars of the country or the economy but also protects or safeguards the environment as well. The trucking industries are focusing on improving its technology. The industry adheres to the highest transportation standards and protocols that produce optimized operational system for its vehicle. Trucking companies just like any other businesses wants to remain profitable in the tough economic condition. The trucking companies that wants to sustain in the industry embraces fuel efficient technology. Reducing the emission of the harmful gases the trucking companies are eligible for the green certification programs. Fleet management software is adopted by the trucking industry in order to facilitate the managers in identifying the drivers engaged in excessive braking and speeding that waste gas. The software collects the real time recording of such activities and events facilitating the managers to discuss the speeding and braking with the drivers. It maintains the vehicles and the problems can be identified and monitored easily. Better maintained vehicles are run cleaner and they burn less gas. These steps cannot solve or overcome the problem related to climate change on their own but they can create differences (Rogers, 2015). Pollution prevention practices of the companies The two companies which are considered in the following pages are Swift Transport and C&K trucking. Swift began its operations in 1966 with just one truck. The fleet size of the company has grown over the years and now the company is regarded as the largest truckload carrier in North America. The suite of transportation solutions that are offered by Swift is unmatched by any other player in the industry. The company has 40 terminals that are placed across entire North America (Beilfuss, 2015). A large variety of transportation needs are fulfilled by Swift Transportation. The company has more than 43 years of experience of operation in this industry and can take care of the different needs of the customers quite efficiently. The company is not only a leader in the field of transportation; but also the environmental practices that are adopted by the company are state of the art and do a great deal in protecting the environment. Recently in recognition of its contribution in this field, the company was felicitated by an award from the US environmental protection agency. The company was awarded this award in order to recognize its leadership in the field of conservation of energy and lowering emission of greenhouse gases from transportation and freight activities of the company. The company is considered to be on the forefront when it comes to implementation of practices that helps in reducing the carbon foot print. The fleets of the trucks owned by the company are largest of its kind and are committed to adopt green practices and green technologies. The company is found to continually invest in latest technologies and innovations for reducing the carbon foot print in the total fleet of 16,500 trucks. This practice helps in order to keep the environment clean for the future generations. The organization has received several awards in the past and it is the 17th occasion in which the company has received a technology and service related award. The COO of the company asserts the view that the company is best in class and is committed to protect the environment. The organization has been able to save 1.68 million tons of CO2 emitted by the fleet of trucks that are owned by the company. Swift transportation is committed towards protecting the environment and the company is involved in protecting the environment through taking all the steps that are possible. The company performs its practices with a sight and underlying thought of sustainable growth which refers to steady and continuous growth in all aspects of the company such as retaining shareholder interest in terms of return, customer loyalty, efficient supplier management, employee retention and growth. The firm has taken all the necessary steps to promote a greener lifestyle amongst the employees and clients of the company by taking a lot of different initiatives in this regard. The company is a chartered member of the EPA smart way transportation program and this association with another company in this field helps the company in order to create a transportation system that is cleaner and more fuel efficient. The company is also dedicated towards environmental friendly transportation methods, recycling products that takes place throughout the company and participates in other programs that helps to create a sustainable product. Another company which is taken up for analysis as part of this report is C&K trucking. The company takes pride in the commitment that is displayed by the company towards the environment. The company is also a partner of the EPA smart way program like the Swift Transportation system. The company is also committed to reduce the carbon foot print of the company in different aspects of the business of the company. The organization has taken up major steps in their environmental initiatives to use technologies and improve efficiency in order to miles per gallon. The company hopes that through this initiative the company will be able to reduce the carbon footprint of the company. The company has been able to reduce the amount of CO2 emitted by its fleet of vehicles by 18% from the levels in 2008. Some of the efforts that have been taken by the company in order to reduce the carbon foot print involve are as follows. The company has installed software on the tractors which helps in tracking of the drivers and monitoring the fuel efficiency levels of the vehicle. Entire fleet that is owned by the company is monitored for tracking miles per gallon and the idle time. The firm develops the backhauls in order to reduce the number of empty miles that are driven by the fleet of trucks owned by the company. The new tractors that are purchased by the company have latest engines that are compliant with 2007 or newer in order to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions by 50%. Using trailers of bigger sizes in order to deliver more freight per mile driven by the fleet of the company. Environmental performance of the companies The environmental performance of the two companies Swift transportation and C& K trucking can be explained as follows: Swift transportation is considered as one of the renowned trucking companies in United States. It has adopted eco-friendly measures in order to overcome the environment related issues. It offers a several transportation solutions that include container, heavy haul, flat bed, intermodal and control of temperature. Swift is a strong and active contributor in the Smart Way Transport Partnership of Environmental Protection Agency. It is dedicated and committed towards creating and promoting better future through the use of Green Technologies. The organization focused on using all this latest technology in order to decrease and minimize carbon footprint by utilizing Clean Fleet. All new trailers and trucks of the companies are licensed by Environmental Protection Agency. It experiences one of the largest and most fuel efficient truck load fleets in United States. Swift is considered as the industry leader in reducing the emission of the harmful gases by adopting aggressive technology solutions. The concerned company uses special software to track miles per gallon and assess the idling rates. In addition to this the concerned company practices advanced extra cab fairings and high technology enabled tracking of its trailers aiming to significantly reduce empty miles and providing incentive and training to the drivers for ensuring environmental improvement on a continuous basis. These measures adopted by Swift have saved more than 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2007(Smith and Miller, 2015). C& K trucking is recognized a major intermodal trucking company of United States. It feels proud to effectively participate in making the environment as the top priority of the trucking companies. The concerned company works along with the environment protection agency which is known as Smart Way Transportation Program. It experiences highest rating as compared to all other trucking companies. It has emphasized on technologies and efficiencies that aim towards increasing the millage in terms of miles per gallon and it leads significant reduction of carbon monoxide. The company has also installed software on trucks for measuring the retrofitted trucks, efficiency metrics and creating advanced speed management systems. The company also prides itself on green delivery system. It uses pure nitrogen air in its tires and aerodynamic cab air and optimizes the city engine idle setting in order to complement its delivery and maximize its gross fuel consumption. This trucking company is involved with a number of green lighting and recycling programs. It focuses on conserving the energy, reducing waste and other things in order to protect the environment. With the increase in the awareness of the customers the concerned company not only fostered on climate protection in order to save the environment for future generation but also enhances or increases the profitability of the business. The destination program adopted by the company reduces the emission of carbon dioxide gases, empty miles and gallon per miles. It developed backhauls in order to reduce empty miles driven, speed management policies to restrict the maximum speed for the drivers and improving the fuel efficiency. It emphasized on reducing Co2 output by establishing recycling centers at all offices, encouraging the employees to use paper responsibly. Environmental regulation affecting the industry sector The Transport Administration Act 1988 explains that a framework has been structured for the governance of the delivery of the transport services. The main aim and objective of this act is to perform the transport services in an environmentally sustainable manner. This act emphasizes on the fact that the activities are required to be performed in accordance with the Environment Administration Act 1991. The main goals of these policies are to protect the natural environment and increase the opportunity for the people to look after their environment. The environmental regulation emphasized on the increasing use of renewable energy and recycling the targets in order to meet the waste recycling targets by 2014. The regulation also focused on minimizing the impact of the changes in climate in the local communities, reducing the travel rime and improving safety. The initiatives for managing and minimizing the environmental impact on transportation system mainly includes sustainable design guidelines for transport projects, addressing environmental issues at all levels of transport planning and assessing the environmental benefits of projects. This framework attempts to minimize the impact of transportation on the environment by identifying and minimizing the risk and managing the environmental impact on the transportation industry. Therefore the trucking companies that plays a major role in emission of the harmful gases in the environment is required to abide by the environmental rules and regulations. The trucking industry is expected to carry out its activities in such a way that it promotes and contributes towards maintaining environmental sustainability. Transport environment and sustainability policy statement has been prepared for improving the environmental performance by the transportation sector (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013). Comparison between companies In the above discussion the sustainable practices of two different trucking companies are considered. The companies which are considered for the analysis are Swift Transportation and C&K trucking. Both of these companies have undertaken sustainable practices in the field of transportation. Both these companies are members of the EPA Smart way. The companies have undertaken several steps in order to reduce the carbon footprints of the vehicles lot that are owned by the company. Swift transportation for example regularly invests in the truck fleet that is owned by the company in order to reduce the CO2 footprint of the fleet. The company owns a fleet of 16,500 trucks and together with the EPA smart way the company has been able to reduce the CO2 emission of the fleet of the company (Department of transportation, 2015). The company has partnered with EPA smart way in order to reduce the Carbon foot print by 1.68 million tons of CO2. The company is considered as a leader in the industry in matters of adopting technology that results in the reduction of emission of harmful gases from the fleet of trucks owned by the company. The company adopts sustainable environment practices in order to reduce the amount of waste that is produced at different stages in the company. As compared to Swift transportation, C& K trucking is also a leader in the use of technology to reduce the carbon footprint. The company uses innovations in technology in order to reduce the C02 emissions of the fleet of vehicles that are owned by the company. Since teaming with the EPA Smart way the company has been able to reduce the CO2 emissions by 18% of the fleet of the company and 8% overall. Thus it is seen that both the companies incorporate sustainable practices in order to reduce the carbon foot print of both the companies. It is thus seen that both the companies incorporate sustainable practices in order to reduce the carbon footprint for the company. The companies can offer other sustainable practices in order to reduce the CO2 emissions of the company (CESTICC, 2015). If the companies take in sustainable practices then the company along with other companies in the field can reduce the carbon foot print and thereby help in reducing the environmental pollution that is cause by the fleets of the company. It is also advisable for the companies to plant trees and use alternate sources of fuel in order to reduce the environmental impact of the company (University of Utah, 2013). Conclusion The relationship that exists between environment and transportation are multidimensional. The emission of harmful gases by the transportation sector adversely affects the environment. Transportation is considered as the significant dimension in the concept of sustainability. Sustainability is regarded as the prime focus of the transportation industry. The main environmental dimension of the transportation industry is associated with the causes and the results of the transport system. The transportation activities have resulted in the increase in congestion and motorization. Therefore, the transportation sector is extremely related or connected with the environmental issues or problems. The most adverse impact of the transportation system on the environment is the change in climate. In order to overcome this environment related problems the trucking companies are implementing wide variety of sustainable practices. The biggest issue faced by the trucking companies is emission that is dangerous to air quality. Therefore the trucking companies are required to minimize the use of fuel, using alternative fuel such as biodiesel and increase truck efficiency. In order to become sustainable, a change in the aerodynamics of the trucks and significant adjustments in the infrastructure are required to be considered by the trucking companies. All trucking companies are required to abide by the laws and regulations formulated by the department of transportation of U.S. Some of these regulations mainly include fixation of maximum number of hours a driver can drive per day, noise emission standards, safety regulations for trucks and meeting or complying with the safety standards for what is being carried within the truck. Swift transportation and C&K trucking adopted many measures for overcoming the environment issues. C&K trucking focused on minimization of fuel consumption through the auxiliary power units and company speed limits and investing in new trucks, engine retrofitting and larger trailers for increasing efficiency of fleet. For improving the air quality, the companies used diesel fuel since it has the lowest emission for trucking, installing low resistant tires and installing LED lighting in both interior lights and headlights. The most common and easiest way to achieve environment sustainability is recycling oil and oil filters. The trucking companies are required to collaborate with other trucking companies considering the investment in alternative fuel, electric trucks and hybrid. The key certification is provided to the company which abides by the environmental rules and regulations. Smart way partnership started by the Environmental Protection Agency offers various incentives for reducing the emissions by improving the supply chain fuel efficiency. Smart Way Partner formed a consortium with the truck companies in order to help the government to develop and implement new environmental trucking regulations. References Aronsson, H. & Brodin, M. (2006). The environmental impact of changing logistics structures. The international journal of logistics management, 17(3), 394-415. Beilfuss, L. (2015). Swift Transportation cuts outlook. Retrieved from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/swift-transportation-cuts-outlook-1443186178 CESTICC. (2015). Sustainability practices in highway winter operations webinar. Retrieved from: http://cem.uaf.edu/cesticc/webinars-archive/sustainability-practices-in-highway-winter-operations.aspx Demirbas, A. (2007). Importance of biodiesel as transportation fuel. Energy policy, 35(9), 466-467. Department of transportation. (2015). Greenlites. Retrieved from: https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/greenlites Page, P. (2015). Today’s Top Supply Chain and Logistics News From WSJ. Retrieved from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/todays-top-supply-chain-and-logistics-news-from-wsj-1432117503 Rogers, J. (2015). The environment and the bottom line. Retrieved from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-environment-and-the-bottom-line-1427773182 Smith, R and Miller, J.W. (2015). Impact of EPA’s emissions rule on industry to vary. Retrieved from: http://www.wsj.com/articles/impact-of-epas-emissions-rule-on-industry-to-vary-1438645662 United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Information on the environmental impacts of transportation. Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/epahome/trans.htm University of Utah. (2013). Green living guide. Retrieved from: http://sustainability.utah.edu/2013greenlivingguide-final.pdf Read More