I have some broader green links on my renewable energy page. In the UK, more energy is used to power transport than anything else but most of the energy is just wasted as heat. Driving a typical European car each day uses more energy and pollutes many times more than home energy use. American truck driving is even worse for everyone in every way. An electric bicycle or tricycle is the most efficient way, the cleanest way and the healthiest way to transport anything, especially in a city.
Cars take up plenty of space and resources but do nothing most of the time and most cars run on a fuel which is under some other country's control and about to become much less available so everyone in rich countries will need to change their transport expectations soon, probably to something like The Netherlands or Asia where cheap two wheel transport has always ruled. Cycling is not just a good way to get around, it is the best way to stay healthy. The most surprising calculation that I have read recently is that extracting and refining petrol uses more electricty than an electric car would to cover the same distance and obviously then finally burning the petrol when driving causes yet more pollution. Cars cause so much congestion, so many problems, cost so much, carry so few people and are still stuck on 2-Dimensions, they are unable to travel directly point-to-point or over soft ground or water.
Cars make you fat, poor, unhealthy and kill people directly or cause pollution or congestion everywhere they go or park. Poor countries like the Philippines have public transport like tricycle taxis which are cheaper, more manoeuvrable and much more convenient than car-based taxis and the Bangkok tuk-tuk might be the greatest vehicle ever invented except for the bicycle. However I learned that it was actually Japanese motorcycle technology and the Hua Hin Tuk-tuk has a higher roofline. For short city journeys, public transport, walking, cycling and electric scooters are the fastest, cleanest, cheapest or healthiest options. For long distances over water, ships and aeroplanes are the only options. For long distances over land, trains, diesel buses and soon electric buses and planes are the best for fast travel. For medium distances travelling from one suburb in one city to another with a big family, then cars, especially electric cars can work fine, if you are rich. Finally, if you live in a country with bad weather and sparse lonely suburban towns and vast road networks, then electric cars and motorbikes might be the best option. Anything else is just temporary fun making noise and pollution.
All modern cars seem to be designed for absurdly high German autobahn speeds with huge crumple zones, air-bags, bumpers and heavy safety cages but then, insanely, they spend most of their time in congested cities or suburbia unable even to turn tight corners, park or travel at an average speed of over 20 Km/h. Driving a huge BMW SUV in a little old English village centre is a sad failure of human intelligence in so many ways - they cannot even turn corners like, for example, Chapel Street into Raven's Lane in Berkhamsted, England. Why waste so much money and cause so much pollution with a vehicle that does not even work in towns? Walking and cycling are much easier, cleaner, cheaper and faster ways to the village shop or school and much more sociable, sustainable and tend not to kill anyone too. Open body vehicles like tuk-tuks, Philippine tricycles and London Routemaster buses are much easier for one-way journeys in cities. The new Renault Twizy - is a much cheaper and convenient city transport and similar to other small quadricycles like the Microlino which is the last cute small car now that the BMW mini has become obese, ugly and expensive.
Why don't all cars have no doors? When I come to power I'm going to make it a rule because this is just better!
- Jeremy Clarkson
However, I understand that driving an extraordinary racing vehicle like an 1980s Audi Quattro on a rally stage is about as much fun as anyone could ever have on four wheels, at least until 2024 when they will be able to buy a 2nd generation Tesla Roadster and then stab the accelerator into hyperspace!
Freight always used to be transported by wind power by great clipper ships but now Maersk is switching to green methanol made from captured carbon dioxide for more reliable shipping scheduling needing fewer sailors and fewer risks.
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