1. Transportation
Kristen Garrity
Julie Kittka

2. Why Is Transportation Important?
 Transportation plays an important role in many aspects
of society
1. Economy
2. Social
3. Political
4. Environmental

3. Economic Role of Transportation
 Improvement of transportation
 Goods can be cheaper for the customer
 Production of goods can be mobilized

4. Social Role of Transportation
 Formation of Settlements
 Earliest settlements were near major bodies of water
 Size and Pattern of Settlements
 Determines distance between the home and the workplace
 Growth of Urban Centers
 Cities developed around transportation lines

5. Political Role of Transportation
 Administration of an Area
 Government must be able to communicate information
 Administration of laws and security
 Political Movement
 Military movement
 Movement of people
(Wall Street Journal 8/25/11)

6. Environmental Role of Transportation
 Safety
 Increased number of deaths and injuries
 Increased vehicle speeds and densities
 Air Pollution
 Global Warming/ Ozone Depletion
 Burning fossil fuels
 Noise Pollution
 Energy Consumption
 Consumes more than half of petroleum products

7. History of Transportation
 Can be broken down into three main sections
1. Coal
2. Petroleum
3. Electricity and other clean alternatives

8. Coal
 Establishment of blast furnace
 Cast iron
 Steam Engine
 External Combustion
Engine
http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/steam1.htm

9. Petroleum
 As a fuel
 Allowed for the massive
development of internal
combustion engine
 Internal Combustion
 Two- Stroke Engine
 Four- Stroke Engine
http://www.howstuffworks.co
m/engine1.htm

10. Mass Production of Automobiles
 Introduction of the assembly line
 Model T in Detroit
 Became so popular and accessible that infrastructure
needed to grow with it
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/specs.html

11. Development of Infrastructure
 Asphalt use
 Derived from petroleum
 Development in bus routes and roads
 Increase in number of highways
 Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956
 Aided in America’s suburbanization movement
 Made commutes easier
 Lead to compounding vehicle pollution problems
 Excessive petroleum use problems
http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/llt/57/belisle.html

12. Problems with Current
Transportation System (Petroleum)
 Global warming
 Emission of greenhouse gasses
 CO2 inevitably created by burning fuels like oil and diesel
 Climate change
 More erratic and extreme weather
 Security
 Dependence on foreign nations
 Global security at risk
www.epa.gov/climatechange/

13. Alternative Transportation
Methods
 Biofuel
 Electric
 Hydrogen Fuel Cells
 How will they help

14. Biofuel
 Sustainable
 Reduces dependence on foreign oil
 Less greenhouse gases
 Transitional
 Wouldn’t completely eliminate CO2
 Net carbon absorber
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/biofuels.php

15. Biofuel
 Ethanol
 Corn-based
 Land, water, fertilizer, energy
 2/3 used to produce fuel itself
 Competition for land use
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/biofuels.php

16. Processing Corn to Ethanol
 Fermentation
 Starches into alcohol
 “Gasohol” – 90% gasoline, 10% ethanol
 Possible to use ethanol for fuel cells
http://www.oregon.gov/ENERGY/RENEW/Biomass/biofuels.shtml

17. Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007
 Advanced Biofuels
 Algal Biodiesel
 Biobutanol
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/biofuels.php

18. Electric
 No CO2 emissions
 Now – expensive, unreliable, not enough energy
 PHEV – Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles
 Recharge at own house
 CO2 emissions – electricity used to recharge vehicle
produced at coal-powered plants
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/electric-vehicles.php

19. Nissan LEAF
 100 miles per charge
 Weather, distance, speed, cargo, topography
 No tailpipe emissions
 Lithium Ion Battery
 Future – solar panels from SunPower
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/index

20. Toyota Prius Hybrid
 Estimated 50 miles per gallon
 Electric and gasoline
 When stopped, gasoline engine shuts off
 Started by electric power so no CO2 emissions
http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/demos.html

21. Hydrogen Fuel Cells
 Form H2O – reaction releases energy
 Exhaust would be water vapor
 Reduce dependence, increase security
 Now – expensive, unreliable, no storage, no natural
reserves, complicated extraction process
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/hydrogen-fuel-cells.php

23. How Will They Help
 Reduce CO2 emissions
 Reduce reliance on foreign oil
 Sustainable

24. References
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/hydrogen-fuel-cells.php
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/biofuels.php
http://needtoknow.nas.edu/energy/energy-sources/emerging-technologies/electric-vehicles.php
http://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/steam1.htm
http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/showroom/1908/specs.html
http://www.nissanusa.com/leaf-electric-car/index#/leaf-electric-car/indexhttp://
http://www.nyc.gov/html/oem/html/hazards/storms_evaczones.shtml
http://www.toyota.com/prius-hybrid/demos.html
www.epa.gov/climatechange/
www.historycooperative.org/journals/llt/57/belisle.html
www.howstuffworks.com/engine1.htm