Mobility and energy: Tenants toward sustainability

Introduction

It is hard to imagine a worse time for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29), likely concluded by the time this article is published, to hold negotiations on climate change. Post-pandemic inflation has upended countries worldwide, straining public budgets and distracting governments from climate action. 2024 is likely the hottest year on record, surpassing the 1.5°C (2.7°F) goal not to exceed 1850-1900 pre-industrial levels set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East continue, scrambling the priorities of powerful countries around the world. Moreover, the United States has just elected former President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “hoax” and removed the United States from the 2015 Paris climate accord during his first term. Our planet and political systems, including in the United States, are in crisis, with trends toward oligarchies and autocracies. These aspects are not mutually exclusive from sustainability, resilience, pollution, limited global resources, our economy, human infrastructure, loss of plant and animal species, global society/social equity, and other threats to the quality of our planet’s ecosystem and human lives. It is one planetary system that we are still learning to understand, and there are many aspects and dynamics we are struggling to comprehend.

Reimagining mobility and energy in the context of planetary and human well-being requires a holistic approach that considers environmental sustainability, social equity, and economic viability. That is a difficult thing to do, given our strong tendency to serve our own self-interests. This can even be harder within a democratic republic, given its basis for compromise and agreement through elected representatives. The first step is to agree that a problem or issue needs to be resolved. That first step seems beyond our grasp, or at least for now. There are no “silver bullets,” and we can’t start over, but we can continue moving in these directions more rapidly. 

These tenants are not intended to be comprehensive or exhaustive but are at least a starting point and reference in reimagining mobility and energy. Many of these are not mutually exclusive, within or between mobility and energy, and relate to one another in one fashion or another.

Mobility

1. Transportation vehicles in all modes

• Expansion and Improvement: Investing in extensive, efficient, and reliable transportation networks to reduce reliance on personal vehicles.

• Electrification: Transitioning fleets to electric or hydrogen-powered vehicles to reduce emissions.

2. Active Transportation

• Infrastructure for Walking and Cycling: Developing safe and accessible infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists to encourage non-motorized forms of transport.

• Mixed-Use Development: Designing cities to be more walkable with mixed-use developments that bring amenities closer to residents.

3. Shared Mobility

• Car Sharing and Ride-Hailing: Promoting car-sharing and ride-hailing services to decrease the number of vehicles on the road and demands to increase infrastructure. One aspect of this is autonomous vehicles. These mobility options facilitate the use of vehicles and roadways 24X7 but can reduce costs to the economy (e.g., reducing demand for numbers of vehicles, fuel, repairs, parts, etc.) and the planet (reducing energy consumption, earth materials, demand for new infrastructure, and reducing emissions). This may require adjustments to our human schedules that aren’t actively moving (working, playing, etc.) 24X7 hours a day, which machines are not subject to. As it is, much of our mobility infrastructure is built to accommodate peak rush hours, which are a fraction of a 24-hour period. On a recent trip to San Francisco, I was impressed by how efficiently the Waymo autonomous vehicles operated.

• Micro-Mobility: Integrating micro-mobility solutions like e-scooters and e-bikes for short-distance travel. Minimobility is yet another solution.

4. Urban Planning

• Transit-Oriented Development (TOD): Designing urban areas around transit hubs to reduce the need for vehicles, long commutes, and more attractive communities.

• Green Spaces: Incorporating green spaces and parks to enhance urban livability and environmental quality. Utilize native plants along highway rights-of-way to enhance plant and animal survival, including insects, especially rare and endangered species.

5. Asset Management

• Seamless Transportation Network: Based on needs, not desires or wants.

• Green materials and construction practices: use of renewable or recyclable materials, environmentally compatible construction practices, and sufficient resilience. Related is working with nature to help limit the impacts of global warming, such as heat, sea level rise, flooding, and others. These aspects, and others, must be addressed throughout the planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance cycle.

Energy

1. Renewable Energy

• Solar, Wind, Hydrogen, and Others: Investing in solar, wind, hydrogen, and other energy/infrastructure to transition away from fossil fuels. Renewable energy is the ultimate target.

• Energy Storage: Developing advanced energy storage solutions to address the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.

2. Energy Efficiency

• Infrastructure Retrofitting and Conversion: Upgrading, retrofitting, and converting existing bridges, roads, buildings, and other infrastructure with energy-efficient technologies and materials can help reduce energy consumption and at less expense than new construction. Various buildings house and support the planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance of mobility. Segueing from green materials and construction practices above, working with nature and reusing/recycling existing infrastructure, vice new construction, can help reduce costs to the planet and economy.

• Smart Grids: Implementing smart grid technology to optimize energy distribution and reduce waste.

• Car Sharing and Ride Hailing: Segueing from the mobility section, promoting car-sharing and ride-hailing services is one way to reduce energy consumption while facilitating the reduction of vehicles and increasing the use of existing roadway capacity 24X7. Much of our mobility infrastructure has been built to accommodate peak periods (e.g., “rush hour”) while typically underutilizing the remaining 24-hour period. Decreasing vehicles while increasing the use of existing infrastructure can reduce costs to the economy and the planet.

3. Decentralized Energy Systems

• Microgrids: Creating localized energy systems that can operate independently from the central grid to enhance resilience and sustainability.

• Community Solar Projects: Facilitating community-based solar projects to democratize access to renewable energy.

4. Sustainable Practices

• Circular Economy: Promoting a circular economy where waste is minimized and materials are reused and recycled.

• Sustainable Manufacturing: Encouraging sustainable manufacturing practices that reduce environmental impact.

Integration and policy

1. Government Policies

• Subsidies and Incentives: Providing subsidies and incentives for renewable energy adoption and sustainable mobility solutions.

• Regulations and Standards: Enforcing regulations and standards that limit emissions and promote sustainability in transportation and energy sectors.

2. Public Awareness and Education

• Campaigns: Running public awareness campaigns to educate citizens about the benefits of sustainable mobility and energy.

• Community Engagement: Engaging communities in the planning and decision-making process to ensure that solutions meet local needs and gain public support.

3. Technological Innovation:

• Research and Development: Investing in research and development to drive innovations in clean energy and sustainable transportation technologies.

• Data and Analytics: Utilizing data and analytics to optimize transportation systems and energy use.

• Artificial Intelligence: AI is making rapid advances and may be a two-edged sword with the ability to provide solutions and make improvements in many areas while having a potentially dark side

Overarching tenants

• Partnerships: No one has a monopoly on good ideas. Contractual and non-contractual partnering is needed.

• Listening and Outreach, especially to those with whom you disagree, are important. They help develop buy-in, support, and coalitions. However, this is hard work.

• Safety: First and always, life is precious. 

Conclusion

Reimagining mobility and energy for planetary and human well-being requires a collaborative effort involving governments, businesses, communities, interest groups, and individuals. By adopting sustainable practices, leveraging technological advancements, and fostering an inclusive approach, it is possible to create an environmentally sustainable, socially equitable, and economically viable system.