What transport mode causes the most global warming?

William Atkins
Saturday, 03 January 2009 01:47

Science - Climate

Norway researchers wondered what type of transportation method—cars/trucks, aircraft, ships, or trains—is the largest contributor to global warming. They found that the number one polluter is seven times worse than the second transport type.


Norway researchers stated in the abstract to their paper, “Transport affects climate directly and indirectly through mechanisms that cause both warming and cooling of climate, and the effects operate on very different timescales.”

Their article “Global temperature responses to current emissions from the transport sectors” is authored by Terje Berntsen and Jan S. Fuglestvedt, both from the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research–Oslo (CICERO), Oslo, Norway

During their research, the scientists calculated climate responses concerning the mean global temperature.

Dr. Berntsen stated, “It is important to underline that the study looks at the effect of the total global emissions, not emissions per passenger kilometer.”

They found large differences between the various modes of transportation (cars/trucks, airplanes, ships, and trains) during the year 2000 with respect to “… the size and mix of short- and long-lived effects, and even the sign of the temperature response.”

Specifically, the researchers found that road transport has the largest negative effect on mean global temperature.

In other words, cars-and-trucks is the transport mode that effects global warming the most with respect to temperature.

According to Dr. Fuglestvedt, “Among the transport sectors, road transport has a strongly dominating temperature effect, both on short and longer terms.” [Science Daily: “Road Emissions Dominate Global Transport Emissions”]

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