Introduction
Global warming is a serious issue that needs to be addressed immediately. Scientists across the world have revealed that the drastic changes in climate are a result of an increase in the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by different industrial sectors. Top among the highest polluters are the manufacturing industry and the transport industry. This pollution is mainly caused by their vast use of oil as the preferred fuel because of its availability and low costs. Oil pollutes the environment by releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases, which have led to global warming. While authorities across the world have compelled the manufacturing industries to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases, similar efforts have not been adequately placed on the transport industry. It is apparent that the number of motor vehicles in the world is increasing by the day, and this translates to an increase in the amount of pollutants produced by the transportation industry annually. This paper looks to highlight evidence supporting the sentiment that the transport industry has played a big role in global warming and climate change.
Greenhouse gas emissions in the transport industry
Vehicles burn oil-based fuel to produce methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, which are released to the environment. Different vehicles produce different amounts of the greenhouse gases, but it has been established that trucks, aircrafts, and ships are among the highest polluters in the transport industry. According to the data reported by the EPA, the transport industry has increased its emissions rate by more than 18% over the past two decades. This trend is a result of an increase in the number of vehicles and other transportation machinery across the world. In 2012, the transportation industry contributed to about 28% of the total greenhouse gases produced in the United States. This data indicates that the transport system is quite a significant contributor to global warming and climate change in the world (Transportation Sector Emissions, 2014). When looking at the individual modes of transportation, light-duty vehicles account for about 63% of the total greenhouse emissions in the industry within the US (Transportation’s Role in Climate Change, 2014). As more people acquire vehicles in the society, the rate increases.
Effects on global warming
The high rates of air pollution from the transport industry have resulted in an increase in the rate of global warming in the world. Global warming occurs when greenhouse gases create a blanket of gases in the atmosphere, which prevents heat radiating from the earth to exit into space. Naturally, without the blanket of greenhouse gases, the emission of heat from the earth’s surface into the atmosphere is very efficient. Global warming is a function of the accumulation of heat from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere. Some parts of the world are experiencing different effects of the excessive heat. For instance, glaciers and icebergs have started melting in different parts of the world, indicating a drastic increase in the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Hillman & Ramaswami, 2010). The melting icebergs have raised the sea level in some parts of the world, and the trend is expected to continue if the appropriate measures are not placed to reverse the effects of global warming.
Climate change
As more greenhouse gases are released to the atmosphere, global warming increases, and this has an adverse effect on the climate in different parts of the world. For instance, different parts of the world have been experiencing unpredictable climatic patterns for the past several decades. Temperature is one of the determinants of weather patterns and climatic conditions; hence, global warming affects weather and climate directly (Fankhauser, 2013). Lack of rainfall in some parts of the world is a result of global warming, and there are also parts of the world that are receiving too much rainfall, leading to natural disasters like floods. The transport industry is a primary cause of climate change in the world because it is one of the highest contributors of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The transport industry is particularly a notorious industry in relation to climate change. The authorities are yet to develop policies that compel the transportation industry to reduce its emissions rate (Stanley, Hensher & Loader, 2011).
Conclusion
Greenhouse gas emission in the transport industry is on an increasing trend because of the increased number of vehicles and other transport machinery across the world. Transportation of people and goods is one of the activities that cannot be halted in the modern world; hence, policies limiting emissions from vehicles and other transport means are yet to be developed. As time goes by, more cars will be purchased by individuals, and the consumption of oil-based fuels will increase. The transport industry is expected to continue increasing its emissions of greenhouse gases. The gases are responsible for the accumulation of heat from the sun on the earth’s atmosphere. This excessive heat has caused glaciers and icebergs in the world to melt. It has also affected climatic patterns in different parts of the world.
References
Fankhauser, S. (2013). Valuing climate change: the economics of the greenhouse. London: Routledge.
Hillman, T., & Ramaswami, A. (2010). Greenhouse gas emission footprints and energy use benchmarks for eight US cities. Environmental science & technology, 44(6), 1902-1910.
Stanley, J. K., Hensher, D. A., & Loader, C. (2011). Road transport and climate change: Stepping off the greenhouse gas. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 45(10), 1020-1030.
Transportation Sector Emissions. (2014). Web.
Transportation’s Role in Climate Change. (2014). Web.