Running Head: THE RISE, FALL AND COMEBACK OF GREEN TRANSPORT

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Green Transport

Mariana Vazquez

University of California, Berkeley

College Writing R1A

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The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Green Transport

In the United States, transportation accounts for over two thirds of petroleum

consumption (Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, n.d.). This significant use of fuel in

transportation is one of the reasons that pollution and greenhouse gas emissions are increasing.

Because of the detrimental effects on the environment, more environmentally friendly

transportation, called green transport have been invented. Many types of green transport were

previously rejected because of economical reasons but are making a comeback due to

environmental concerns.

Airships

Airships have been a transportation option for a long time now. They gained popularity

as soon as they were created, but lost it some time after. However, this may change in the future

as pollution increases and people look for other transportation alternatives.

In the past, people considered airships the most luxurious and fastest way to travel.

Airships gave their customers a pleasant travelling experience by providing them with amazing

views, table service and private cabins. The first hot air balloon was built in 1783; 27 years later,

Count Zeppelin, a rich man who helped fund projects on rigid airships, built the first modern

airship, the Zeppelin LZ1. Many praised this new and convenient type of transportation. Airships

were one of the fastest transportation options during the 1900s. Around 1910, passenger boats

were capable of going at speeds close to 30 mph whereas airships could fly at 100 mph (Airship,

2014; Smithsonian National Museum of American History, n.d.). Even after commercial

airplanes were first built, most of them could only reach 64 mph (Sharp, 2012).

Peoples positive views on airships completely changed after the Hindenburg crash in

1937 (Dorminey, 2011). The Hindenburg was a hydrogen-filled airship that exploded while
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trying to land in New Jersey. This was a dramatic event since the majority of the public saw this

disaster because it was shown on television.

The Hindenburg had exploded because the airship manufacturers used hydrogen gas,

which is more reactive, instead of helium gas for the blimp. One major reason why they did this

was because hydrogen was around a thousand times cheaper than helium (Century of Flight,

n.d.). The manufacturers very well knew that by using a more stable gas they would make the

airship safer, however the economic factor outweighed the safety concern. On the other hand, the

public did not know that this explosion could have been avoided with this simple modification.

After this incident, many got frightened and stopped using airships and instead shifted to using

airplanes. The airship was no longer considered to be safe. Because this event terrorized people,

they diverted to airplane transportation. By the 1930s, airplane manufacturers had improved their

aircrafts by making them bigger and faster. By the middle of this decade, airplanes were capable

of going 200 mph (Novak, 2013). This was a lot faster than the airships, so the airplanes started

to become the favorite type of air transportation. Many years after, airships have not gained their

popularity back and as few as 25 blimps are currently operating around the world (Reed, 2015).

In 2015, the US Environmental Protection Agency stated that greenhouse gas pollution

from aircrafts does harm the climate. As more people became environmentally conscious,

innovators started looking for alternative air transportation that is more environmentally friendly.

For example, a company owned by Igor Pasternak called Worldwide Aeros Corp. is working on

an improved airship that is capable of a speed of 120 knots and range of over 5,000 miles (Reed,

2015). This new airship will also be three times as fuel efficient as airplanes so if airships make a

comeback, air transportation will not be a major source of pollution anymore. Currently, airships

would be beneficial for mostly travel and cargo. Compared to airplanes, airships can stay up in
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the air for longer without landing (up to a couple of days) and are also bigger. This would make

longer trips possible, allow passengers to have more room and would increase the amount of

cargo transported. As the environment gains more importance in the community and airships

improve, their market will only grow.

Electric Car

An electric car is an automobile that has an electric motor instead of a gasoline engine.

Similar to airships, electric vehicles have a long history and continue to improve today. As

people care more about the environment and as more innovations are made, these cars

popularity is rapidly increasing.

Sibrandus Stratingh was a Dutch inventor who created the prototype for this new vehicle

(Romero, 2009). He created an electromagnetic cart in 1830 and after his invention, electric

vehicles gradually gained popularity until the 1900s. During that time, electric cars accounted for

a third of vehicles on the road. Their popularity was due to their many attributes: they were quiet,

easy to drive, and perfect for short trips.

One of the few drawbacks that came from purchasing an electric auto instead of a

standard one was the cost. Since the price difference between the two types of cars was almost

double, there was a decrease in popularity for the more expensive one. By 1912, manufacturers

were able to make cheaper gasoline-powered vehicles by starting mass production and lowered

the price to $650. That same year, electric cars cost around $1750. By 1920s, gas became very

cheap and available to most Americans. It became even more convenient to have a gasoline

engine since it was common for Americans outside of cities to not have electricity (Matulka,

2014). It became hard for companies to sell electric cars since they were an inconvenience to

own. They were too expensive and they were not as practical as gas-powered cars.
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Years after the invention of the electric car, scientists learned that the gasoline-powered

vehicle they had previously praised, was causing problems for the environment. In 1990, after

the Clean Air Act Amendment was passed, car manufacturers began reverting to the electric car

model and tried to improve it. As more people became aware of how driving impacts the

environment, these companies that started re-introducing the electric vehicle gained popularity.

One example of these companies is Tesla, a luxury electric automaker company. Tesla received a

$465 million loan from the Department of Energys Loan Program Office to start their company,

and they were able to pay the loan back fully after nine years due to their success (Matulka,

2014). Tesla offers innovative electric cars that do not have the downsides of battery powered

vehicles. One of their most successful cars, the Tesla Model S, was named the best car ever

tested by Consumer Reports- an unbiased product testing organization. This model earned a

score of 99 out of 100 for its powerful 85-kWh lithium-ion battery and its 200-mile range per

charge (Consumer Reports, 2013). Companies like Tesla, which are re-introducing electric cars

will keep gaining popularity. More people are becoming conscious of how we impact our

environment and this is causing the electric car to become a popular choice for transportation

once again.

Segway

The Segway is one of the smallest kinds of green transportation there is. It is a two

wheeled 30 kg personal electric vehicle in which riders have to balance on and lean to make it

move. The Segway uses 5 gyroscopes and tilt sensors to work, and it is also electrically powered

and emission free (Transporter, n.d.).

It was invented by an American engineer, Dean Kamen, and was revealed to the public in

2001 on the program Good Morning America. Before this reveal, Kamen had announced that he
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had invented a machine that would be to the car what the car was to the horse and buggy

(Valentino-DeVries, 2010). He had kept the details of the vehicle to himself and was very

secretive about his project. Because of this, the Segway received a lot of attention from the

public and the media once it came out. Many celebrities tried this vehicle on live television and it

was featured in various movies and TV shows. For example, in 2002, the hit sitcom Frasier

featured a Segway in an episode that got 14.2 million views (History of the Segway, 2010;

Frasier (Season 9), n.d). By that time, most people had seen the Segway or at least had heard

about it.

However, by 2009 the Segway company had only sold 50,000 vehicles (History of the

Segway, 2010). This invention never gained the initial popularity that the electric cars or the

airships once had. One major reason why this happened was because of the economic

disadvantages that came from purchasing one. A basic model costs around $5000 plus the

additional cost of electricity required to constantly charge the vehicle (Wert, 2008). People were

paying a lot of money for a vehicle that can only go 12.5 mph and last 11 miles per charge

(History of the Segway, 2010; Segway's Breakdown, 2003). The Segway was competing against

other smaller non-green vehicles such as a scooter and motorcycle that could sometimes be

cheaper, more convenient and way faster.

Another important factor that affected the Segways popularity was the negative image

that the public had of this green transport. Because of its awkward size and slow speed, the

Segway is usually seen as a ridiculous vehicle. For example, the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop is

about a geeky and awkward cop who works at a mall and uses a Segway. Throughout the movie,

the Segway is ridiculed and used as a joke. Segways have also made an appearance in other

shows and movies but their image is never positive. Kamen claims that the failure of his
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invention was due to the inflated expectations born in the vacuum created by his silence

(Segway's Breakdown, 2003).

Even though the Segway was not successful, the idea of a personal, environmentally

friendly vehicle was not a bad one. As people become more aware of how transportation affects

the environment, green transport is getting improved and gaining popularity. Since the Segway

had many problems that could be fixed, companies have been trying to make some changes to

the vehicle that would make it more appealing to the public. For example, a company called

Xiaomi recently launched the Ninebot mini. It is like the Segway, except that it has a different

design, it is much smaller and cheaper. The 12.8kg Ninebot mini can tackle 15-degree hills and

has a range of 22km per charge (Dent, 2015). Other variations of the Segway such as the

hoverboard have been more popular than the Segway and still continue to be used.

Since people are talking and learning more about the environment and the changes that

are occurring due to their actions, green transport is becoming popular again. Airships, electric

cars and Segways are only a few examples of these vehicles. These transportation options will be

more successful in the future due to improvements that are being made to them. At some point,

people will want to use these green vehicles instead of the ones they are currently using and

transportation will not negatively impact the environment.

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