Transport

From Envirowiki

Transport generally means human means of moving self, or moving other things. This can be human-powered, animal-powered, or machine-powered usually with some form of fuel. transport can take many forms, the most efficient for flat land transport uses the wheel.

[edit] methods of transport

[edit] Animal Powered

• Human powered:
  • walking or running
  • pedal-powered machines like bicycles
  • rickshaw

• Animal Powered:
  • animals such as Horses or camels are often used to carry packs or humans.
  • sled
  • animal-drawn cart

[edit] Machine Powered Transport

some machines require fuel, often fossil fuel to move, others operate under elemental or other power

[edit] Non-fossil fuel macine transport

• Land Transport
  • Bicycles
  • Air powered engine vehicles are driven on compressed air, and can be charged up on clean energy
  • Electric vehicles can theoretically be charged on renewable energy, though this is not always what happens in practice.

• Water transport
  • Sailing - one of the most energy efficient modes of long-distance travel^{[reference needed]}

• Air Transport
  • Hang Glider, or gliders

[edit] Fossil Fuel powered transport

some of these modes of transport could be replaced, or even refitted to operate on other non-fossil fuels, such as biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen or biogas, but each of these alternative fuels has its own associated problems.

• Land transport
  • the Car - one of the most energy inefficient methods of travel per person, and a major cause of numerous other social problems.
  • Busses - slightly more efficient than cars.
  • trucks - like busses, but for goods and food and stuff, not people.
  • Trains are generally the most energy efficient mode of travel per person or kilogram, but infrastructure is energy intensive, and expensive to set up^{[reference needed]}.

• water
  • motor boat, or Ship - efficiency unknown ^{[reference needed]}

• Air transport
  • Aeroplanes and Helicopters - THE least efficient method of transport ^{[reference needed]}. there is no known way of powering planes if peak oil becomes a serious problem. Aviation fuel is the only thing powerful enough, and able to be produced in large enough quantities to power planes for long periods of time.
  • Blimp - requires fuel for propellers, but uses light gas, such as helium to stay in the air, meaning high-efficiency.
  • Hot Air Baloon - requires the burning of some amount of gas. not very steerable.