Tackling sustainable transport on the road to netzero |
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Over June and July, Mid Green Family did a deep dive into transport, emissions breakdown and the challenges of taking quick action. Reducing emissions requires affordable, accessible, and safe low-emissions public transport, as not everyone can afford the huge expense of switching to EVs, making it a privilege for few. Structural changes are necessary for a greener transport future. |
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Throughout June and July, our focus was on tackling transportation. I had set some ambitious goals at the beginning of the year, including reducing overall driving, considering buying an EV, using public transport twice a week, and offsetting flights. However, as we reach the halfway mark of the year, I realize that progress hasn't been as significant as I hoped. Driving increased due to school drop-offs and pick-ups, and flights will surpass last year's tally, requiring offsets. Despite the EV hype, it's evident that real change in transport emissions demands societal and structural shifts. It's been the most challenging topic to see immediate individual impact, but we're determined to continue reducing driving. On a positive note, the kids are mad keen on cycling right now, so we've just started our Sunday farmer's market run on bikes instead of driving (the eggs made it home safe too!). Public transport is undoubtedly a better choice for reducing transport emissions, but at this stage of our lives, having a car is still a necessity. However, continuing with a car built to Euro 4 standards just doesn't align with our commitment to sustainability. We've explored various EV options, even test-driven some, and as much as we'd love a Tesla Y or a Polestar for their comfort, style, space, and reliability reviews, affordability is leading us towards the Tesla Model 3. It's a step in the right direction for a greener lifestyle, and we're excited about the positive impact it can make on our carbon footprint. The final verdict on our progress - room for improvement. Dealing with transport emissions has been a tough nut to crack on a personal level, but hey, we won't give up! We'll keep enjoying our cycling weekends and work harder to find low-emission options for our weekday commute. |
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| | The IEA's sectoral report card had transport marked as 🔴Not On Track (for meeting the 1.5 deg C Paris Agreement pathway). Ouch. The globe is failing its transport report card, with Transport accounting for 20% of Australia's carbon emissions. A big chunk of that is from road transport for passengers - cars, SUVs, and light vehicles. Australia has the 2nd-highest per capita transport emissions, mainly due to our preference for heavier vehicles with powerful engines and fewer incentives for low-emission vehicles. The average Aussie car is over 10 years old, problematic as older cars have older emissions standards (like my own SUV built under Euro 4 when new cars are moving on from Euro 6). Old cars are vastly more emitting (less fuel efficient). There's a lot of chat about the full lifecycle emissions of EVs - are they even better than Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) vehicles? Yes! Read on to find out the criteria you need to keep your eye on for comparing. | | |
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| | While electric vehicles (EVs) offer environmental benefits, promoting mode shift to public transport, cycling, and walking is crucial to reducing road emissions. For us, we've decided to switch to an EV, specifically the Tesla 3, to reduce our carbon footprint and improve air quality. We know no car is carbon-free, but transitioning to an EV aligns with our goal of reducing emissions while meeting our daily commute needs - for now. We'll continue to embrace public transport and other sustainable options where possible, until kids can bus independently. You can read my soapbox on the need for better Government investment and policies to change Australia's transport emissions, without relying on EV ownership alone. Aviation is going to be a hard nut to crack, needing global fuel taxes or similar to incentivize change. This may not be 'just' as making flying more expensive may make it even more a purview of the wealthy. For now, offsets - which we should only use in areas that are very hard to abate (or avoid). | | |
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