Transportation Data Exploration
Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserThere’s a lot to learn when it comes to how we get around. Data can help us see where emissions come from and how we can get to zero for this Grand Challenge.Learn more at www.oerproject.com
2Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserIntroductionWhen someone asks you what you can do to cut your carbon footprint, the way you travel might be one of the first things that comes to mind. Transportation – the way we get around – is perhaps the most obvious source of emissions. After all, most of us use cars, buses, and perhaps motorcycles. We fill them up with gas, and we know that gas has to become something when it gets used up... and that something is mostly greenhouse gas!Transportation – not only of people but also of goods – accounts for around 16% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. In some countries, often richer nations with populations that travel often, transport can be one of the largest segments of an individual’s carbon footprint. But not all forms of transportation create quite the same amount of carbon emissions. So if you need to travel – either locally or abroad – what is the lowest-carbon way to do so?In Chart 1 we see a comparison of travel modes by their carbon footprints. A carbon footprint is a measure of the carbon produced by someone or something. In the case of travel modes, these footprints are measured in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases one person emits in order to travel one kilometer (about 0.6 mile).Chart 1: Carbon footprint of travel per kilometer, 2018. By Our World in Data, CC BY. Explore chart 1 here.
3Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserThe chart doesn’t actually list every form of transport. Can you see what’s missing? Here’s a hint: they’re two of the lowest-impact forms of transportation, and the oldest. Walking and cycling are nearly always the lowest-carbon way to travel. Using a bike instead of a car for short trips would reduce your travel emissions by about 75%. If you’re wondering why cycling emissions are not zero, the reason is that you’re burning energy while you pedal, and that energy has to come from somewhere—your food. There are big differences among the modes of transportation in the chart. Taking a train instead of a car for medium distances would cut your emissions by about 80%. Taking that train instead of a domestic flight can lower them by about 84%.The chart does simplify the picture a bit, because emissions vary widely even within the same form of transportation. For example, driving a car on a freeway usually produces a bit less greenhouse gas per kilometer than driving on city streets. The main factors that affect emissions output within a given mode are the length of your trip, their source of energy, for public transport the occupancy level, and for cars the type of vehicle and number of passengers.What if you can’t walk or cycle, or you need to travel longer distances and can’t take a train? What should you do? Taking a flight and driving alone are the most carbon-intensive options. Between the two, the better choice depends on the distance traveled. If you’re going a short distance (under 625 miles), then flying has a higher carbon footprint than driving a medium-sized car. If the distance is longer (more than 625 miles), flying actually has a slightly lower carbon footprint than driving alone over the same distance.How do we get there?If we’re going to address transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, we have to know where to invest our time and energy. We probably want to concentrate on the big issues first. But what are they? Moving people on the ground? Moving goods? Flying? In Chart 2 we see global transport emissions in 2018. Road travel accounts for three-quarters of the total. Most of this travel is done by passenger vehicles – cars and buses – which contribute 45.1%. The other 29.4% comes from trucks carrying freight.Chart 2: Global CO2 emissions from transport. By Our World in Data, CC BY. Explore chart 2 here.
4Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserWhile it often gets the most attention in discussions about action to reduce climate change, aviation accounts for only 11.6% of transport emissions. It emits just under one billion tons of CO2 each year, about 2% of total global emissions. One obvious reason is that flying is a luxury not everyone in the world can afford. In fact, only a small share of the global population flies very often. Shipping contributes a similar amount, at 10.6%. Rail travel emits very little – only 1% of transport emissions. What does that tell us about where we should direct our efforts?Where in the world?Another consideration is that the same solutions may not work for every location. There are major differences in transportation emissions based on geographic location. In Chart 3, we see that wealthier nations like Australia, Canada, Saudi Arabia, and the United States emit much more CO2 from transportation per person than more populous countries like India and China.Chart 3: Per capita CO2 emissions from transport, 2018. By Our World in Data, CC BY. Explore chart 3 here. The average person in the United States emits 5.3 tons of carbon dioxide each year from transport. In India, the average person emits just 0.2 tons.
5Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserAre we there yet?Transport demand is expected to grow across the world in the coming decades as the global population increases, incomes rise, and more people can afford cars, trains, and airplane flights. Combined, these factors would result in a large increase in transport emissions. But major technological innovations can help offset this rise in demand. As the world shifts towards lower-carbon electricity sources, the rise of electric vehicles offers a viable option to reduce emissions from passenger vehicles.In Chart 4, we see one prediction model presented by the International Energy Agency (IEA).Chart 4: Global CO2 emissions in transport by mode in the Sustainable Development Scenario, 2000-70. By Our World in Data, CC BY. Explore chart 4 here. ConclusionWhile switching passenger transportation to electric vehicles may be relatively achievable, scientists warn that other transport categories like aviation, cargo shipping, and heavy trucks will be much more difficult to decarbonize.The potential for hydrogen as a fuel, or for battery electricity to run planes, ships, and large trucks, is limited by the power required to achieve the desired range. Batteries and hydrogen fuel tanks would have to be much larger and heavier than current combustion engines.The assumptions underlying Chart 4 demonstrate how hard achieving this scenario will actually be. Nearly two-thirds of the assumed emissions reductions come from technologies that are not yet commercially available. As the
6Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserIEA states, “Reducing CO2 emissions in the transport sector over the next half-century will be a formidable task.” Are you up for the challenge?Now you try itInteractive data visualization technology has given us the ability to use real data to simulate how some policy changes might actually affect climate change. One of these simulators is the EN-ROADS project from Climate Interactive and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative.With your teachers’ permission, open this simulator: https://en-roads.climateinteractive.org/scenario.html?v=21.7.1. You will see two charts in front of you, plus a number of sliders. The two charts illustrate scientists’ predictions for global climate change by 2100, a net average increase of + 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit (ºF) or +3.5 degrees Celsius. As you know, this warming will have devastating consequences for humans and other life.The chart on the right shows greenhouse gas emissions as a line that increases over time.For all the activities with this simulator, you will look at that chart, and the number to its right, as a result of policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If we can reduce emissions, the number (and the line) will go down and the world’s temperature will rise more slowly.
7Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserUnderneath this chart there are a number of sliders. They represent different policies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most of these are incentives – ways of increasing or decreasing the cost of an activity so people will do less of it (if it costs more) or more (if it costs less). Sometimes, the creators of this tool refer to incentives as simply “increasing” or “discouraging” certain activities.Transportation is a good case in point. Two sliders in this simulation are dedicated to transportation. They are labelled “Energy Efficiency” (how efficient cars and other transportation systems are in their use of power) and “Electrification” (the rate at which we turn fossil-fuel-consuming vehicles into electric vehicles). Let’s start with the Energy Efficiency slider. Slide it left and right and see what happens.You can also dive somewhat deeper into each slider using the three dots to the right of the slider’s name. Click on the dots for “Electrification.” You’ll get to experiment more with the effects of electrification of different vehicles, and with the date that change begins. (Note: Use the blue line in the main Greenhouse Gas Net Emissions chart, not the chart to the right of the sliders labelled “Electric Share of Total Capital-Transport.”)
8Transportation Data ExplorationAdapted by the Climate Project team from work by Hannah Ritchie and Max RoserHannah RitchieHannah is Senior Researcher and Head of Research at Our World In Data. She focuses on the long-term development of food supply, agriculture, energy, and environment, and their compatibility with global development. Hannah completed her PhD in GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh.Max RoserMax is the founder and director of Our World in Data. He began the project in 2011 and for several years was the sole author, until receiving funding for the formation of a team. Maxís research focuses on poverty, global health, and the distribution of incomes. He is also Programme Director of the Oxford Martin Programme on Global Development at the University of Oxford, and Co-executive Director of Global Change Data Lab, the non-profit organization that publishes and maintains the website and the data tools that make OWIDís work possible.Image creditsCover image: A toy aeroplane against a blue background. © Richard Drury/DigitalVision/Getty Images.OER Project aims to empower teachers by offering free and fully supported history courses for middle- and high-school students. Your account is the key to accessing our standards-aligned courses that are designed with built-in supports like leveled readings, audio recordings of texts, video transcripts, and more. Offerings include a variety of materials, from full-year, standards-based courses to shorter course extensions, all of which build upon foundational historical thinking skills in preparation for AP, college, and beyond. To learn more about The OER Project, visit www.oerproject.com