GHG emissions from transportation are expected to exceed 1990 levels by 32 per cent in 2010 and 53 per cent by 2020, if current trends continue.
- Canadian vehicle ownership per capita is now double what it was in 1960.
- The number of kilometres driven per capita is now double 1960 levels in Canada.
- At the same time, freight has shifted from fuel-efficient rail to gas-guzzling trucks.
- Vehicle fuel efficiency standards have not improved since the mid-1980s (1).
In 1982 when Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals passed the Motor Vehicle Fuels Consumption Standard, which would have allowed the federal government to set minimum kilometres-per-litre rules and fine automakers who failed to meet those standards. Due to heavy lobbying efforts, it was never proclaimed into law (2).
Environmental lobbyists such as the David Suzuki Foundation (3) propose the following measures to reduce transportation emissions:
- Improve mandatory fuel economy standards for vehicles to reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
- Gradually introduce tax increases on gasoline and diesel to reflect their real environmental and health costs.
- Strengthen support for public transit, car pool programs, cycling infrastructure and other sustainable transport options.
- Require a mandatory renewable energy content of five per cent, such as lignocellulosic ethanol (made from straw, corn husks, forest residue, etc.), to replace some of the gasoline Canadians use.
- Lower and enforce speed limits to reduce fuel consumption. There is an enormous increase in fuel use at higher speeds.
- Encourage the movement of freight by rail rather than by road, as rail is much more fuel efficient.
- Encourage Canadians to consider a hybrid vehicle when buying a new car.
Public Transportation
For some communities, public transportation is neither practical nor feasible. However, people living in areas with reliable and dependable transit systems should consider increasing their patronage of the systems for which they pay.
If you don’t use public transit already, try using it once a month. After getting comfortable with the idea, try using it once a week. Over time, you’ll save money on gas, parking and maybe even your waist-line.
Private Transporation – Hybrids and More...
Factoid: The Toyota Camry Hybrid was the first hybrid car to ever be named car of the year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada. (4)
While many hybrid vehicles were previously unavailable in the Canadian market, the pendulum is swinging and car manufacturers like Ford Canada plan to begin producing hybrids in Canada by 2010.
Already considered a leader, Toyota estimates it will have sold over a million hybrids worldwide by 2010. According to the most recent figures, hybrids made up about 10,000 of the 1.6 million vehicles sold in Canada in 2006, according to Desrosiers Automotive Consultants.
Not sure, whether or not you want a hybrid? Consider this:
| Model | Cost to drive 25 miles* | GHG Emissions (tons) |
| 2007 Honda Accord Hybrid | $2.60 | 6.8 |
| 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid | $1.61 | 4.4 |
| 2007 Lexus GS 450h | $3.27 | 8.0 |
| 2007 Nissan Altima Hybrid | $2.06 | 4.7 |
| 2007 Saturn Aura Hybrid | $2.68 | 6.0 |
| 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid | $2.06 | 4.8 |
| 2007 Toyota Prius Hybrid | $1.46 | 3.4 |
| 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD | $2.37 | 5.4 |
| 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD | $2.60 | 6.0 |
| 2007 Lexus RX 400h 2WD | $2.93 | 6.3 |
| 2007 Lexus RX 400h 4WD | $2.93 | 6.4 |
| 2007 Saturn Vue Hybrid 2WD | $2.78 | 6.4 |
| 2007 Mercury Mariner Hybrid 4WD | $2.6 | 6.0 |
| 2007 Toytoa Highlander Hybrid 2WD | $2.78 | 6.3 |
| 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD | $2.78 | 6.4 |
| 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic 15 Hybrid 2WD | $4.24 | 9.6 |
| 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic 15 Hybrid 4WD | $4.47 | 10.3 |
| 2007 GMC Sierra Classic 15 Hybrid 2WD | $4.24 | 9.6 |
| 2007 GMC Sierra Classic 15 Hybrid 4WD | $4.47 | 10.3 |
*Based on Based on 45% highway driving, 55% city driving, 15000 annual miles and the following fuel prices:
Regular Gasoline: $3.22 per gallon
Premium Gasoline: $3.40 per gallon
Greenhouse gas emissions expressed in CO2 equivalents. Estimates include the full fuel cycle and exclude vehicle manufacture. (U.S. Department of Energy, GREET Model, Argonne National Laboratory)
Alternatives to Hybrids
As an alternative to hybrids and public transportation, consumers also have the option of purchasing electric vehicles or fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). Electric vehicles are energy efficient (convert 75% of chemical energy from batteries to power the wheels) but have a driving range of 150 miles or less.
FCVs are propelled by electric motors but differ from electric vehicles in that they create electricity through a chemical process using hydrogen fuel and oxygen from the air. FCVs can be fuelled with pure hydrogen gas stored onboard in high-pressure tanks. They emit no pollutants; only water and heat.
Links to References:
http://www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/climatechange/english/climatechange/ttable/menu.htm
http://thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=M1SEC676767
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Solutions/Transportation.asp
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/autos/hybrid-cars.html
US Environmental Protection Agency,
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_sbs_cars.shtml
All of the above sites accessed on Feb. 10 – 11, 2008.
