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Who will bell the cat? On the environmental and sustainability risks of electric vehicles: A comment
Get PDFIn Transportation Research A 133:79–81, Francisco Bahamonde-Birke (B-B) asks “Who will bell the cat? ... [and presumably discloses] … the fact that, under current conditions and with flat energy prices, a substantial increase in the number of EVs [electric vehicles] in many countries would necessarily result in an increase of CO2 emissions”. B-B wants to … “raise awareness among authors and reviewers regarding the risks associated with replacing conventional vehicles – especially those highly efficient in terms of CO2 emissions, such as Diesel and LPG vehicles – by electric vehicles”.publishedVersio
Microplastics in road dust – characteristics, pathways and measures
Get PDFRevidert versjon av rapport 7231-2018 og 7361-2019The expected main contributors to road dust-associated microplastic particles (RAMP) are rubber compounds in tyre treads, polymers used to strengthen the bitumen used in road pavement and thermoplastic elastomers used in road marking paints, where the former appears to dominate. The major fraction of RAMP is expected to be found in the runoff from the road and road verge generated during rainfall events. However, even if domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are expected to be main recipients of road runoff in urban areas, their presence in the influents or effluents (neither treated water nor sludge) have not been undisputedly documented. There is generally a complete lack of actual evidence to support the extent to which RAMP are removed by existing treatment facilities, and to what degree they are present in road runoff entering these facilities. In addition, the release of tunnel wash water is probably a major point source of RAMP. The estimated treatment efficiencies referred to in this report is based on total suspended solids (TSS) as a proxy for RAMP as well as reported particle size distributions and densities. Sedimentation is expected to be the most important mechanism for the removal of the larger size fractions if sufficient settling time is provided (traditional Norwegian gully pots do not). The report discusses the expected efficiencies of existing treatment solutions, include the roadside treatment plants, gully pots and WWTPs receiving stormwater runoff from urban areas. It also discusses other potential treatment solutions that may be applied, both along the national road network in light of the revised version of handbook N200 by the National Public Roads Administration and in urban areas with limited available space for treatment solutions.publishedVersio
Decomposing growth in Norwegian seaport container throughput and associated air pollution
No full textWhile policy makers worldwide view maritime transport as a sustainable alternative to road freight transport, increased cargo volumes by sea inevitably boost activities in ports that are in the proximity of where people live. This paper proposes a production analysis framework for examining intertemporal changes in cargo volumes and in-port air pollution that decomposes the contributions of ship characteristics and port container handling productivity, efficiency, and technical changes to the overall changes. The framework is applied to analyze container handling in Norway from 2010 to 2015. The results indicate that increasing ship sizes lead to more pollution per hour spent berthing, but at the same time it often leads to higher container handling productivities and thus possibly to ships spending less time in port per container loaded/unloaded. While technical changes are found to reduce the duration of container handling by about 2–3 percent per quarter, port container handling productivity and efficiency changes appear to be the main drivers of environmental productivity growth.publishedVersio
The flight is valuable regardless of the carbon tax scheme: A case study of Norwegian leisure air travelers
No full textVarious countries have introduced a carbon tax on air travel. Carbon taxation is controversial in that it may negatively influence tourism demand. Still, research investigating travelers' willingness to pay (WTP) such taxes is limited. This study explores Norwegian leisure air travelers’ willingness to pay higher carbon taxes than that already included in their ticket price, applying the contingent valuation (CV) method in an experimental design. The impact of eight hypothetical taxation schemes are tested to provide insight into how regulatory policies can be developed so as to improve acceptance for carbon taxes. Results show that Norwegian outbound tourists are ready to accept higher carbon taxes and that WTP is not strongly related to the taxation scheme. This suggests that there exists a scope for policymakers to implement more stringent taxation regimes on air travel than seen today.acceptedVersio
Nordic Experiences with Smart Mobility: Emerging Services and Regulatory Frameworks
Get PDFIn a time where emerging technologies bundled within “smart mobility” represent a new transformation of the mobility system, it is critical that governments pro-actively take part in these developments. This means steering measures to ensure that the benefits of innovative technologies contribute towards a sustainable mobility system and avoiding the risk of increased attractiveness and use of private motorized transport, such as private cars. New technologies, largely accelerated by the ongoing digital transformation in mobility, have the potential to disrupt existing market structures entirely. Existing legal and regulatory frameworks may not be prepared for accommodating new and innovative services. It is therefore critical to gain more a thorough understanding of how new smart mobility services need and may be governed through regulatory frameworks. This paper looks into approaches and experiences in Finland and Norway, focusing on the role the public authorities have adopted in the two countries with respect to smart mobility solutions and emerging Mobility as a Service (MaaS) offerings in particular. The paper first presents a typology of new mobility services and a review of emerging services. An analysis is then presented of the interplay between the government as a regulatory authority and the new MaaS initiatives, drawing on the frameworks by Docherty et al. (2018) on elements and challenges related to the transition to smarter mobility. Our main finding is that the services available on the street and challenges faced by the authorities in the short run are surprisingly similar, but that the toolbox available and the long run challenges may prove more diverging.publishedVersio
Withstanding winter vulnerabilities: A way of life in a northern seaside community
Get PDFThis study responds to the dearth of qualitative research on long-term adaptation to winter climate-induced access and safety problems in rural areas in Western welfare societies. Based on qualitative interviews with 19 long-term residents in a thriving fishing village in northern Norway, the paper explores how they have adapted to and coped with roadside avalanches, blizzards, heavy snowfalls, and snowdrifts that have suddenly closed access highways and cut off other lifelines. The study shows that the inhabitants have internalised hazard adaptation and preparedness through safeguarding themselves, family members, their home and community during difficult times. Still, they admitted that local solidarity and coping capacity were changing with the arrival of newcomers who are less accustomed to and experienced with these hazards. Despite high personal and joint adaptation and coping capacities, the study also reveals denial of risk and the prevalence of worry, particularly among women. The inhabitants acknowledged mortality risk while driving on avalanche-exposed winter highways, yet assumed that they would not have a fatal accident.publishedVersio
Monitoring Euro 6 diesel passenger cars NOx emissions for one year in various ambient conditions with PEMS and NOx sensors
Get PDFIn this study, the NOx emissions of four Euro 6 diesel passenger cars ranging from Euro 6 b to Euro 6 d-TEMP in different ambient conditions and driving routes were investigated with a Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) and continuous NOx concentration monitoring device. A model was also generated for translating NOx concentration values into a gram basis. The results suggest that there is a marked difference in NOx emissions based on the Euro 6 step for the car is type approved. The study showed that the conformity factor for NOx emissions on a route in a city environment (“City route”) changed from 0.65 to 5.2 depending on the Euro 6 step and car. Surprisingly, a Euro 6 b car equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction SCR system and updated engine control unit (ECU) software for lower tailpipe NOx emissions provided lower average NOx emissions than a Euro 6 d-TEMP diesel car equipped with dual lean-NOx traps. Results for the City route also showed that the road infrastructure (crossroads and speed limitations) can have a noticeable effect on promoting driving that leads to higher NOx emissions even with a Euro 6 d-TEMP car. Estimations of NOx emissions with modelling based on continuous NOx concentration monitoring suggested that Euro 6 b diesel cars can provide NOx emissions close to the current RDE legislation. In addition, the modelling suggested that the Euro 6 b car with updated ECU software and the Euro 6 d-TEMP diesel car are capable of extremely low daily average NOx emissions, even close to 20 mg/km, in normal daily usage. Nevertheless, the monitoring results and model also suggest that cold ambient temperature has a high effect on the NOx emissions reduction performance of these vehicles, occasionally increasing their daily average emissions to as high as 900 mg/km.acceptedVersio
CONTRA Project report #1: Requirements identification and system mapping
Get PDFThe research project “COVID-19 Network Technology-based Responsive Action” (CONTRA), funded by the Research Council of Norway, commenced in June 2020. The CONTRA project develops a decision support system (DSS) based on mathematical modeling and stochastic optimization, and machine learning tools for designing a robust COVID-19 vaccine distribution network. The project follows two main objectives within two phases. In response to the on-going COVID-19 outbreak, rapid analyses will provide actionable advice to public health authorities in Norway regarding vaccine distribution and delivery to responders. This phase involved a systematic study of vaccine distribution system actors in Norway and their decision-making needs. Based on such insights, the project will develop a DSS based on mathematical models to support designing the vaccine distribution network. The DSS should contribute to the effectiveness, efficiency, equity, and sustainability of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. The proposed solution will also support vaccine distribution in future pandemics. The report describes the results of the first work package (WP) in the CONTRA project. The WP1 aims to identify the key actors in the vaccine distribution network in Norway, map their relation to each other, and distinguish critical decisions in the system. Moreover, the report presents an overview of related research on vaccine distribution networks, related decision support systems, and the progress in the literature about the COVID-19 pandemic. Through preliminary interviews, document review, and a workshop with multiple representatives from Norwegian public health authorities, the current vaccine distribution system is analyzed, and its actors have been mapped. This system map is the basis for further discussion both within the project team and with stakeholders. It should be noted that this map will change throughout the project due to the additional insights from other validation opportunities and the fact that the COVID-19 context is dynamic and is changing permanently. However, the system map has served as a basis for the problem definition in the CONTRA project. Based on our findings from the stakeholder workshop and system mapping, we have decided to focus on defining and studying the central vaccine allocation problem (CVAP), which is faced by Public Health Institute (FHI). As such, the CONTRA will investigate the problem of determining the amount of each vaccine to be shipped to every municipality. CVAP is challenged by the scarce amount of vaccines, the current immunization level, population, and priority groups in each municipality. In our project, CVAP will be formulated as a multi-objective resource allocation problem. Specifically, we will define and formulate objectives related to the following performance dimensions: efficacy (e.g., total coverage, coverage per priority group, etc.), efficiency and sustainability (e.g., logistics costs, waste), and fairness (e.g., distribution of efficacy among municipalities). The next step in the project will be to validate the problem definition and develop the mathematical model (second work package). Moreover, two individual reports for the actors map and system map will be published in the upcoming months by project partners.submittedVersionacceptedVersionpublishedVersionpublishedVersio