Join the discussion on the following article:
Norfolk Southern releases sustainability report
Someone please explain to me how locomotives burning hundreds of millions of diesel oil every year is “sustainable”. As Inigo Montoya said in The Princess Bride, “I don’t think that word means what you think it means.” If the railroads are serious about “respecting the planet” let’s see them put some real money into electrification, which - potentially - uses no fossil fuel at all. Now THAT would be sustainable.
Social performance? The public still sees a graffiti plastered Norfolk Southern.
Rich, I’m not an engineer and I don’t know how many extra power plants and transmission lines would be necessary to power our railways. However, even if it were necessary to build a few more nuclear plants, wouldn’t that be preferable to the millions of tons of carbon we spew into the atmosphere every year to power our trains? Yes it would require a lot of copper and other minerals, but that’s a one-time expense, whereas every year we’re burning up vast quantities of fossil fuels. I don’t think we need to fear dependence on outside parties for electricity; Japan and Europe seem to manage. I’m sure the New York City subway needs to purchase its electricity from some utility, but it seems to be surviving. In my city of Montreal, we have a very successful electric-powered commuter line that buys its power from the government-owned electricity monopoly, and it functions quite well. I think if the railways didn’t have to worry about purchasing, transporting and storing huge volumes of fuel oil they would be grateful. Look at France: they made the decision back in the 1970s to build nuclear power plants and high-speed railways, and they can honestly claim to have a “sustainable” system, unlike our fossil-fueled one.
Graham… I am interested in how you propose to power these electric generating plants? Coal, Oil, Natural Gas, Nukes? The National Electric Grid is already over taxed in so many areas, which would require many additional power plants to come online. The areas that have surplus power are already acting as backups to to major metropolitan areas via inter-state high voltage lines. Furthermore, would you really want private rail companies, who currently manage their own fuel supply and demands, to then fully rely on FERC and other government agencies to manage this component for them? Let us not talk about the amount of copper and lead that will need to mined, to create and install the catenary and batteries needed for this setup. I like to think I am open minded to all feasible options, I encourage you to explain your stance in more detail?
Thank you for your reply Graham…
I whole heartedly agree that nuclear power could be a feasible option, for more of North America’s critical needs. I was hoping that your response was not going to be fully dependent on wind and solar farms in the Northeast! Well thought and spoken with example, thanks.