Goods transportation - sea and air

[Pierre Johnson]

Many exchanges pertain to people transportation. However, transportation of goods have the highest impact on climate change and biodiversity depletion. 90% of the goods transported around the world are done so by sea. Sea freight is not so environmentally friendly as it sometimes sales. It accounts overall for 3 to 4% of CO2 emissions, and a much higher rate of NHx emissions, more dangerous greenhouse gases.

Little attention has been paid to those issues. Some alternatives are being built, but the movement is far behind what would be necessary. In Europe, Sky Sails, Transport Coherence and a Dutch company which I can't find the name at the moment are trying to radically change sea transportation. The first one has created a system (a kind of kite sail) which can save about 30% of fuel now. The two others aim to reinvent sailboat transportation in the 21st century. Still a few other companies are reinventing the zeppelin for freight and passenger transportation.

What do you think of those initiatives? How could they be discussed, highlighted?

[mansion]

sailing boat, what a great idea ! no CO2 ! and what about electric truck ?

[Pierre Johnson]

Yes, Mansion. Thanks for your contribution. This is a complementary solution. Sustainable transportation must consider multimodal solutions. And the technic itself (sail, electric motor) is 90% of the solution. The remaining 10% must not be neglected, as they are related to the organisation of the transport system, which can give its full potential to the technological solution.

Now, I've heard about electric cars, small vans, but not 20 tons trucks yet! River transportation seems a good complementary to sailboats. They can carry high tonnage.