Transition Towards Sustainable Transportation

From Digital Culture & Society

Contents 1 Article Reference 1.1 Find Article Online 2 Context 3 Overview 4 Strengths & Weaknesses 5 Assessment

[edit] Article Reference

Andersson, L., Ek, K., Kastensson, Å., & Wårell, L. (2020). Transition towards sustainable transportation – What determines fuel choice? Transport Policy, 90, 31–38. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.02.008

[edit] Find Article Online

https://ocul-bu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/view/action/uresolver.do?operation=resolveService&package_service_id=5530083770005152&institutionId=5152&customerId=5150&VE=true D.O.I: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2020.02.008

[edit] Context

This article places the focus on the factors that determine the fuel choice between ethanol and gasoline for owners of flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs). The purpose of the article is to analyze what influences individuals to choose a flex fuel vehicle over a gas vehicle and vice versa. Factors such as “relative price, perception of quality, age and environmental attitudes”(p.31) influence the choice of flex fuels over more traditional fossil fuels. With ever increasing requests for individuals to switch to sustainable fuel sources for their private vehicles, the article aims to better understand what encourages paper to shift toward renewable energy. Furthermore the article discusses the importance of fuel availability directly impacting the overall usage trend, both future and past. Targeting FFV owners is the method used in the study to better understand what variables can affect the future selection of fuel choices. The message of the article is to not only show that individual’s personal beliefs alter their preferences even if they are harmful as a result but also displays the further regulation necessary to create a sustainable transportation method that can aid in combating the overall carbon footprint private vehicles commit to the environment.

[edit] Overview

The article introduces the fact that the transport sector stands for 70 percent of European greenhouse gas emission. Almost instantly the baseline is established that reduction in fossil fuels is necessary for progression toward a healthier environment. Fossil fuel vehicles are targeted because of their abundance and obvious emissions with the aim to shift owners of such vehicles towards more sustainable options. “Relatively large fluctuations over the years regarding sold volumes of ethanol (as well as gasoline)”(p.32), is a question raised by the author with intent to (1) clarify individuals usage and habit of vehicles to warrant a choice in fuel type. Other questions raised include (2) which factors determine fuel selection, and (3) how can distributors of ethanol better encourage individuals to choose the fuel source over fossil fuels. The study was performed by sending 1200 owners of FFVs surveys regarding their usage of flex fuel. All participants were randomly selected from a pool of 217,704 FFV owners from Sweden in the month of March, 2016.

[edit] Strengths & Weaknesses

The strength of the article is the amount of participants that supplied data for the surveys. FFVs are amongst the most abundant in Sweden compared to the rest of the world, providing a large pool of possible participants. Even if participation of the survey were to lack, there is little to no impact on the overall data as more participants could be substituted. There are also few variables to be worried about in the data with age becoming the single biggest concern when asked about fuel usage. This strength ensures the data collected is both abundant and accurate, leading to more accurate assumptions. Another strength of the study was that the model gave freedom of response to participants. Being fully anonymous and the nature of the survey being broad in requirement aided the author in supplying specific reasoning from each individual that varies vastly. An example of the case includes the concerns for pricing of ethanol some participants have while others are concerned with vastly different implications such as the impact of food production due to the rise in ethanol use becoming a cause for concern in specific participants. Varying answers that are often unique to individuals aid future development of sustainable fuel sources to become more widely accepted. Although minute, the weakness of the article is its specific approach to analyzing only Flex Fuel vehicles as vehicles today range in different fuel solutions. Electricity being the most notable fuel with the largest push from governments and the industry for individuals to adopt. Data on fuel preference could potentially vary between fuel sources as each have specific strengths and weaknesses of their own that may convince owners.

[edit] Assessment

In conclusion, the article provides excellent data from a large group of participants to benefit from the improvements necessary to convince individuals to approach more sustainable fuel sources. It effectively answers the question that for many, the choice to use flex fuels is largely a moral obligation to benefit the planet and push forward as a society. Better understanding why many may choose to oppose more sustainable fuel sources such as Ethanol can greatly benefit the research and development of a robust infrastructure of fuel sources that can ultimately impact environmental carbon footprint statistics for the better in the future.

Dm19wj 18:27, 1 December 2023 (EST)