© Rew Shearer

In retrospect, one notable, seemingly interminable Philippine problem is vehicle congestion. To any Filipino, braving the slow-moving traffic of foreign cities is marbles compared to the honks, groans, growls, screeches and (usually) furious profanities emanating from the monster that is the metropolitan highway during rush hour. To any Filipino, the supposed New York seen on TV traffic is nothing compared to EDSA at 7:30 (AM or PM) on a Monday.

Amidst the flurry and hullaballoo that is the stretch of vehicles lining almost the entire length of EDSA, another far more disturbing fact is overlooked: the total contribution of Philippine vehicles to global warming.

 

WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW

Global Warming

  • Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s troposphere (near-surface air) and water basins (e.g. oceans, seas and other aquatic bodies) as a result of variations in geological activity (most especially volcanic eruptions), atmospheric composition (particularly the rapid increase in abundance of greenhouse gases) and solar output.
  • Human activity is a significant factor to a drastic change in the atmospheric condition.

 
Greenhouse Gases

  • The atmosphere has been known to contain greenhouse gases – air components that absorb and emit radiation.
  • The most abundant greenhouse gases identified are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and chlorofluorocarbons.
  • Scientists are baffled by the seemingly unstoppable increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution.
  • Such a continuous increase results in the further thickening of the greenhouse blanket, trapping large amounts of heat within the atmosphere, increasing the Earth’s initial natural temperature (and therefore the term: Global Warming).

    • Click here to view the 2010 Climate Change Performance Index.

 

WHAT WE SHOULD KNOW

  • The rapid upsurge in the amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide has been known to be brought about by different factors, as shown by the most recent data from the Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research:
  • Transportation, an essential part of human activity, is the third largest contributor, with transport fuels composing 14.0%.
  • Emissions from transportation compose 9.2%of the total carbon dioxide emissions, which compose 72% of the total greenhouse gas production

    • Click here for the latest data on countries’ CO2 emissions per capita

 

Transport Fuel Emission

  • Based on data from the US Code of Federal Regulations, 2,421 grams of carbon are present in one gallon of gasoline; 2,778 grams are present in the same amount of diesel.
  • The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) calculates that a gallon of gasoline emits 8,788 grams of carbon; the same amount of diesel will produce 10,084 grams.

 
Philippine Transportation Emissions

    Fig 1: 2009 Carbon Dioxide Emission Factors in Metro Manila (g/km)

  • Research shows that heavy commercial vehicles and buses are the two largest emitters of carbon dioxide (Fig. 1)
  • Jeepneys place third on the list, and are closely followed by personal cars and light commercial vehicles.
  • The larger numbers of jeepneys compared to either heavy commercial vehicles, or buses, sees them to becoming the form of transportation to yield the highest amount of total carbon emissions by 2035.

    • Click here for a PDF of the actual report.

 

WHAT WE SHOULD DO

  • For short distance travels, it is best to walk, skateboard, roller skate or bike. This promotes better health, and decreased carbon emissions.
  • Practice carpooling to minimize carbon emissions, and road congestion.
  • In buying a car, choose one which uses less gasoline and/or diesel but still provides longer mileage. Better yet, choose a car with an eco-friendly engine.
  • Find a way to use biofuel to power your vehicle, instead of gasoline or diesel. Biofuel use reduces the consumption of fossil fuel, a major contributor to global warming.

    • Click here for suggestions to having an eco-friendly day.
    Click here for more info on transportation and the climate change issue

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