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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (102325)	3/19/2007 6:23:56 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 362849

Electrification 101 "railroads are 8 times more energy efficient than heavy trucks and also are more labor-efficient." (And electric rail is 3 times as efficient as diesel rail) A 10% Reduction in America's Oil Use in Ten to Twelve Years An Overlooked, Practical, and Affordable Approach Using Mature Existing Technology Commentary by Alan S. Drake May 2006 Rat note...TOD's AlanfromBigEasy NOTE: This is the third commentary in our series Electrification 101 – a discussion aimed at informing transportation professionals, decisionmakers, and the public at large of the value and advantages of electrifying transportation operations, and the electrification of public transport systems in particular. The following essay is a slightly edited version of a summary position paper disseminated by the author at a recent Peak Oil conference in Washington, DC. Alan S. Drake, a former accountant, is an engineer, and professional researcher based in New Orleans. Step One – Electrify US Freight Rail Lines and Shift Freight to Rail The Russians finished electrifying the Trans-Siberian Railroad, from Moscow to the Pacific, in 2002 and electrified to the Arctic Ocean port of Murmansk several months ago. Almost all of Japan and the continental European Union (EU) have already electrified their railroads – so there are no technical limitations. Electric railroads are cheaper to operate and can carry more freight because they accelerate and brake faster (and can generate electricity while braking, saving energy) and have no delays for refueling. The United States used 19.8 million barrels of oil per day in 2002 with two-thirds for transportation. (Today, consumption is about 20.7 million barrels per day.) Railroads carried 27.8% of total US ton-miles with 220,000 barrels per day whilst trucks carried 32.1% of total ton-miles with 2,070,000 barrels per day (2002 data). Clearly, railroads are 8 times more energy efficient than heavy trucks and also are more labor-efficient. lightrailnow.org

To: stockman_scott who wrote (102325)	3/19/2007 7:17:37 AM
From: Wharf Rat	Respond to of 362849

The High Speed Passenger Rail Act, Draft 1 Posted by Jerome a Paris on March 17, 2007 - 12:00pm This was written by Arthur Smith, who is a member of the Oil Drum under user name apsmith. Energize America (as recently introduced to the Oil Drum) has been working on draft legislation to help America reach energy security in the face of peak oil and our over-dependence on the Middle East, and to address concerns about global warming through efficiency and energy alternative measures. This week saw the delivery of several legislative proposals to Congress. Among the commentary and responses there has been one issue that stood out to me: increasing support for rail, both passenger and freight. The following is a first draft of a new "High Speed Passenger Rail Act", based on Act V - "The Passenger Rail Restoration Act" of Energize America version 5. The first portion consists of background information on the energy benefits and previous legislation, and the second is the actual proposed act. Your comments will help make this a more solid proposal that could make a real difference to the future of this nation! theoildrum.com