getting old clunkers off the road

There are three key challenges to reducing the carbon impact of transportation. One is reducing the need for motorised travel (by, for example, restructuring cities so that jobs and homes are closer, or encouraging telecommuting), another is encouraging a switch to public transport (or alternatives like ridesharing) where nonmotorised transport isn't an option, and the third is bringing to market more environmentally benign vehicles. Any serious carbon emissions reduction strategy will need to incorporate measures to address all three challenges, but none are quick to implement on a large scale, except perhaps in a few cities where public transport is already based on well-established infrastructure and effective services.

In the short term, there is a fourth factor that will limit the effectiveness of any of these measures: the time it takes to retire the existing worldwide fleet of fossil-fueled vehicles. Cars built today can travel farther over their lifespan than they could 15 years ago, so even if I am willing and able to do with one less car, or to replace one with a less carbon-intense vehicle, chances are someone will buy my old one and keep it running. Extending the life of a vehicle is good if the alternative is for someone to buy a brand-new fossil-fueled one, but it's bad if the alternative is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

In the US, aside from the local used-car market, millions of old cars are shipped to Mexico every year, where they continue to spew carbon emissions. But Canada is planning to deal with the problem by launching a national program to provide incentives to scrap old vehicles, so that they are sent to scrap yards instead of being kept running.

Seven groups across the country currently receive federal money to run a patchwork of scrapping programs, which offer incentives such as rebates on new vehicles, free transit passes and charitable receipts in exchange for older cars.

The programs turn the vehicles over to scrap yards, which crush and recycle them according to provincial regulations.

So this is not exactly new for Canada, but the current debate in the press is about how the national program will affect existing initiatives.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Comments

[Duncan Drennan]

One thing that also needs to be taken into account is the cost (emissions) of manufacturing a new vehicle - they may make up a significant (possibly the bulk) of the vehicles total emissions.

It would certainly be better if we all moved around in zero emissions public transport, but what are the most effective interim steps?

[Rory]

Agreed. Though I didn't spell it out, that's the reason why I say that extending the life of an old car is good in some circumstances: even though its operating emissions will be higher than, say, a hybrid Prius, manufacturing the Prius is worse than using the less efficient car.

Interim steps? Some combination of making do with fewer cars, using hybrids when we can't avoid buying a new one, using biofuels (despite their drawbacks) and travelling less.

But the big push in transport really must be to set the scene for more innovative types of transport services. Mass transport doesn't meet the needs of the masses, and while it does need to be improved, we also need more flexile services like car sharing (as opposed to ride sharing) that help families avoid buying so many cars.