This reading discusses factors that delay or prevent change towards sustainability.

Barriers: Challenges that can be overcome

Past decisions that preclude certain actions.

E.g. investment in the internal combustion engine rather than zero-emission cars

Transit makes up a large portion of GHG emissions. Therefore, any meaningful action to combat
climate change must consider transit as a primary issue.

In many ways our current system is locked-in to fossil fuel use by previous decisions.

Different Lock-ins:

The ICE as principal method of propulsion

Chosen over steam and electric

Gasoline was a by-product of kerosene production, which made it attractive

Road+ Car dominance

Cities had to be rearranged to become car-inclusive.

Once converted, there was no going back

Investment to increase car efficiency are largely inneffective

Traveling at higher speed encourages longer travel distances

Status-quo bias

People dont like change

Non-competitive state ownership

State-owner railways dont want competition

Electric vehicles: IF powered with clean energy, the benefits outweigh the harms compared to
conventional vehicles.

Barriers:

Automaker interests

Dont want to change production methods

Often need internal change agents

Sufficient external pressure necessary to catalyze chagne agents

Long lifespan of vehicles

Ships remain in commission for 2-3 decades

Therefore, it takes a long time to phase out previous ships and for new ships to take over the
market

(At the same time, long lifespans are good for efficient use of materials)

Bad subsidies

Subsidies which encourage environmentally harmful behavior

Tax breaks for company cars, commuting

Fuel subsidies

Diesel has higher co2 and more NOx and PM / litre

Yet it has a higher subsidy

The Decision making process

Lack of consensus sometimes torpedoes deals

International agreements are difficult

Cost of electric vehicles

Higher than conventional vehicles

Offset by lower fuel costs

Policies to create change:

Demand for mobility

Rather than developing road networks, more effort has been put into connecting services like
buses and trains

Shared mobility (result of techonology)

1) Car sharing

short term access

No need to visit a rental company

2) on-demand ride services

disrupting traditional taxi market

2.5) Integrated ride sharing

transit companies givine 1/2 off rides to/from the rain, etc

Also shipping companies using these trips to deliver food/goods in the same car as
passengers
3) Ridesharing

Non-profit carpooling

Environmental impact of sharing:

Fewer cars produced (good thing)

prices go up due to fewer cars (which the paper makes out as a bad thing since fewer people will
want to use ride sharing services, but also wouldn't that discourage car ownership at the same
rate, meaning people would turn to car-sharing rather than taking on the larger burden of costly
car ownership?) (Also, don't high prices reduce consumption, which means fewer trips taked?)

Sometimes car sharing replaces public transit (I think this happens VERY often. I ride the bus
much more here than I probably would if I could call an uber or lyft)

Difference between station-based and free-floating car sharing system. More is known about
station-based.

Vehicle technology niches

shared mobility and electric mobility: EVs are great as a shared car because shared vehicles are
rarely driven long distances, and EVs have a shorter range than conventional vehicles. Also,
doesn't require re-fuelling before return like an ICE

Electric Bicycles:

Very popular in China

broaden range of biking trips, especially with cargo or children

Could be used to bike delivery services, hilly areas, etc

Autonomous Vehicles:

Expensive

Development still uncertain

Ideally would reduce traffic and be safer -- still doesn't really solve the problem of cars
dominating the city scape (Although they would be able to squeeze more cars into smaller
streets)

May increase distance traveled, which isn't good (in a shared EV system, or centrally
owned EV system, perhaps riders could be charged per mile?)

Public Policy:

Tends to support incremental change

Can link businesses with sustainable innovation, but can also change public perception of issues

Most changes require policy accomodation. EX: car sharing needs dedicated parking spots