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Social Distancing Is Making Public Transport Worse for the Environment than Cars

posted by martyb on Saturday July 18 2020, @07:21AM   

Phoenix666 writes:

Social distancing is making public transport worse for the environment than cars – here's how to fix it:

While more people opt for travel by car and private transport, the number of passengers that trains and buses can carry has also been reduced to meet social distancing guidelines. This means that people from different households must keep one to two metres apart. So, once a seat is taken, surrounding seats must be left empty.

This has had a profound effect on the climate impact of train and car travel. When running at normal capacity, public transport is more environmentally friendly than travelling by car. Although a train or bus can produce more C0₂ than a car, they transport far more people, so emissions per person are lower overall.

But under social distancing conditions, and assuming that any unfilled seats correspond to a commuter driving to work instead, diesel-powered public transport produces more C0₂ emissions per passenger than a small car.

Can passengers be seated so public transportation can be more efficient than cars while maintaining social distancing?

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Original Submission

• Can passengers be seated... Can passengers be seated... (Score: 5, Interesting) by c0lo on Saturday July 18 2020, @09:06AM (1 child)

  by c0lo (156) on Saturday July 18 2020, @09:06AM (#1023311) Journal

  an passengers be seated so public transportation can be more efficient than cars while maintaining social distancing?

  But if course. Here, two immediate solutions:
  - use hermetically closed suits, like those used in deep diving or space walking
  - store each passenger in their own coffin and stack those one on top of the other. This will work even post covid. I mean... will work at least for a while; that "while there still are passengers" one.

  --
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford

  Starting Score:	1		point
  Moderation		+3
  Interesting=3, Total=3
  Extra 'Interesting' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		5

• Re:Can passengers be seated... (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 20 2020, @01:44PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday July 20 2020, @01:44PM (#1024102)

  Sci fi has you covered.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sentenced_to_Prism [wikipedia.org]

  "Set in the Humanx Commonwealth, Prism is a unique planet because its ecosystem contains both silicon-based and carbon-based life. Evan Orgell, a management troubleshooter sent to Prism to investigate the disappearance of a research group, finds himself fighting for his survival in this strange crystalline environment after his specialized environment suit succumbs to the local elements."

  They wear their suits everywhere, even swimming.

  Parent