This Week in Infrastructure Systems:
Two Counties Sue Fossil Fuel Companies for Funds to Address Climate Change [San Diego Union Tribune][WBUR]
Imperial Beach, CA, joined suit with San Mateo and Marin Counties, CA, to sue fossil fuel companies for funds to help pay for the damages caused by climate change. This is a very bold, if not outlandish, strategy, but the communities believe they have no other recourse. If the lawsuit is viewed by some to be frivolous, it is viewed by others as a very reasonable course of action in the face of environmental changes that will cause irreversible damage to the structure of coastal communities. It will be very interesting to watch to determine whether the courts agree that the fossil fuel companies share any responsibility in causing sea-level rise. Even more interesting, if that very unlikely scenario comes to pass, would be what the courts require those companies to do about it.
CSX Corporation Will Stop Investing in Coal Transportation [Huffington Post]
While the Trump Administration has publicly addressed the need to revitalize the coal industry, others within the coal industry and its subsidiaries have questioned the likelihood of success of any revitalization strategy. This past week, the CEO of CSX Corp, one of the largest rail transporters of coal, has stated that fossil fuels are a declining industry when taking a long-term view. This is interesting because the US is a global leader in freight rail infrastructure, and coal is a significant freight rail customer. The freight rail sector has been adjusting to this new reality for years, as it was being reported as far back as 2012 that fundamental changes in the electricity generation sector are shifting the demand for coal rail shipping. As a nation, we need to reconcile--sooner rather than later--with the reality that even fossil fuel business has acknowledged for years. Fossil fuels are declining, and the market is shifting towards renewables.
Electric Cars to Account for All New European Vehicle Sales by 2035 [The Guardian]
When will the general public reconcile with the inevitable decline in fossil fuels? When there are no internal combustion (IC) cars sold on the market. I was listening to the radio this week and heard that Volvo will only sell electric or hybrid models by 2019(!!). That is next model year! In case that didn't hit you yet, 2018 models are on the floors right now in US dealers across makes. Next year this time, Volvo models will be either electric or hybrid, period. Why would this make any sense? Well, if one of your largest markets is planning to be all electric by 2035, then it may help you to get ahead. ING's aggressive projections have been made on the basis of battery technology advances, projections in charging infrastructure, air quality and health concerns, and cost of ownership projections. While not all projections agree with the year 2035, they do all share the conclusion that Europe will be 100% electric before 2050. Even more remarkable, given the current political climate in the United States, is that economists and banks agree that Asian and (ahem!) American carmakers are at an advantage compared with European carmakers because Asian/American batteries and electric motor technologies are more mature:
However, ING warned that with battery-powered vehicles accounting for 100% of registrations in 2035 across the continent, European carmakers would lose out to their rivals in the US and Asia who already lead on battery production.
Here's hoping that our political and social moods will soon match the economic, technological, and scientific trends. Or more optimistically, here's hoping that our political and social moods will accelerate the economic, technological, and scientific trends. While we certainly need to deal with justice, equity, and community cohesion concerns that are introduced with globalization and technological advances, let us remember that in 1900, the dominant mode of transportation left urban streets filled with horse manure, in 1950 passenger transportation made our population collectively subject to IQ decline due to lead exposure, and in 2000, our penchant for large IC cars left us vulnerable to oil price vulnerabiltiy--even with massive advances in fuel efficiency. So, yes, let's hope these trends accelerate while improving quality of life.