Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing global society. The debate over what to do is confounded by the uncertain relationship between increasing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change, and the impact of those changes on nature and human civilization.
This book will provide professionals and students alike with the latest information regarding greenhouse emissions while presenting the most up-to-date techniques for reducing these emissions. It will investigate three broad strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions: 1) reducing motorized travel, 2) shifting to less energy intensive modes, and 3) changing fuel and propulsion technologies. Findings will be presented by the leaders in the field with contributions from professors, researchers, consultants and engineers at the most prominent institutions - commercial, academic and federal - dealing with environmental research and policy.
* Includes a comprehensive evaluation of current industrial practice
* Provides technologically sound and manageable techniques for engineers, scientists and designers
* Incorporates guidelines for a sustainable future

The Hydrogen Energy Transition addresses the key issues and actions that need to be taken to achieve a changeover to hydrogen power as it relates to vehicles and transportation, and explores whether such a transition is likely, or even possible. Government agencies and leaders in industry recognize the need to utilize hydrogen as an energy source in order to provide cleaner, more efficient, and more reliable energy for the world's economies. This book analyzes this need and presents the most up-to-date government, industry, and academic information analyzing the use of hydrogen energy as an alternative fuel.
With contributions from policy makers and researchers in the government, corporate, academic and public interest sectors, The Hydrogen Energy Transition brings together the viewpoints of professionals involved in all aspects of the hydrogen-concerned community. The text addresses key questions regarding the feasibility of transition to hydrogen fuel as a means of satisfying the world's rapidly growing energy needs. The initiatives set forth in this text will mold the research, development and education efforts for hydrogen that will assist in the rapidly growing transportation needs for automobiles and other vehicles.
* Presentations by the world's leaders in government, industry and academia
* Real-world solutions for the world's current fuel crisis.
* Endorsed by the University of California Transportation Center and Transportation Research Board

Recent advances in medical technology have provided healthcare staff with the possibility of maintaining the life of a brain-dead pregnant woman on life-support in order to achieve successful delivery of the foetus. Management of Post-Mortem Pregnancy examines the legal and ethical difficulties surrounding such post-mortem management. Offering practical guidance based on a combined analysis of similar situations that affect pregnant women's lifestyle and physical condition and of the legal framework of pregnancy clauses in advance directive legislation, the volume considers pregnant women's obligations towards their foetuses. It discusses the main moral, legal, psychological, religious, spiritual and physical aspects of the question on the interests of dead people, as well as the jurisprudential question of the foetus' interests. The book will be a valuable guide for all those involved with the decision-making process of such tragic cases. It will also be of wider use to anyone with an interest in legal, ethical and bio-medical issues.

Soon after starting work on the development of a methodology for national trans portation planning in Venezuela, we realized the importance of an integrated management process for such an effort. We also realized the absence in the literature of specific guidelines on how to manage and conduct a transportation planning effort. The literature on the subject of national transportation planning is predominantly theoretical and technical in nature. To a large extent, the absence of literature on management and broad-based methodological approaches reflects the limited and ad hoc nature of the experience in national transportation planning. This book is an attempt to fill that gap. The main objective of the book is to show one way by which a methodology for national transportation planning can be integrated into a process management framework. It reports on the experience that the authors had in the Venezuelan case, as well as in earlier national planning efforts. The book is not intended as a theoretical discussion of planning. Instead, it adopts a particular theoretical stand and proceeds on that basis to develop a program for applying a specific methodology. The intention is to leave as much of the details and elaborations of that methodology to the user. This is motivated by two considerations. The first is a pragmatic attempt to limit the scope of the book."

Throughout the 1970s and the 1980s, energy policy has been a hotly debated topic. Governments around the world have struggled to respond to a changing energy market. Yet the policy-making process is all too often distorted by self-interest groups who are informed by narrow, technical research. The question addressed by this volume is one of the most timely and critical of the energy-related questions: How much longer can we rely on petroleum as a transportation fuel? This book, which includes a subset of papers commissioned for an unusual symposium (Alternative Transportation Fuels of the 1990s and Beyond, July 17-19, 1988), addresses the broader issues of transportation-fuel policy in regard to energy security, economic growth, and environmental quality. While many conferences have addressed the subject of alternative fuels, their scope has been intensive and narrow, focusing on a few specific areas in the spectrum of possibilities. This conference was the first in many years to offer such a broad exploration of alternative fuels. Presenters included influential executives and administrators from the Department of Energy, and the motor vehicle and energy industries; federal, state, and local governments; environmental groups as well as leading researchers in the fields of air quality analysis, motor vehicle technology, and energy policy.

In addition to an introduction and conclusion by Daniel Sperling, a total of 17 papers are presented in this volume. What is most exceptional and exciting about this collection is the presentation of contrasting views and the sharing of this wealth of information with a broader audience. Examined here are global fuel strategy, ethanol fuels in Brazil, alternative fuels as a solution to the air quality problem, Chevron's view of the future of oil, and the role of government in promoting alternative transportation fuels. Methanol, compressed natural gas, and hydrogen-powered and electric vehicles are also discussed. In addition to the analytical papers, the volume also includes a short article representing the viewpoint of an environmentally minded citizen. This book should appeal to any individual involved or interested in this important area. Researchers will appreciate the opportunity to consider so many well-researched but varying perspectives. It will be essential--and perhaps should be required reading--for policy makers, providing them with an overview of the issues and helping them make more intelligent, effective, and strategic choices. For the general public--those who are affected by energy and transportation policies--it is a unique opportunity to gain a broad understanding of our transportation fuel options and their environmental and economic consequences.

This book explores the phenomenon of suicide tourism. As more countries legally permit assisted suicide and do not necessarily bar the participation of non-residents, suicide tourism is becoming a larger and more complex global issue. The book sets out the parameters for future debate by first contextualizing the practice and identifying its treatment under international and domestic law. It then analyses the ethical ramifications, weighing up where the state's responsibilities lie, and addressing the controversial roles of accompanying persons. The book goes on to offer a sociological and cultural analysis of suicide tourism, including interviews with the various stakeholders: policy makers, assisted suicide associations, and medical and patients' organizations, in Switzerland, Germany, France, Italy, and the UK. The book concludes with a summary of the legal, ethical, political, and sociological dimensions of suicide tourism.

Daniel Sperling discusses the legal status of posthumous interests and their possible defeat by actions performed following the death of a person. The author first explores the following questions: Do the dead have interests and/or rights, the defeat of which may constitute harm? What does posthumous harm consist of and when does it occur, if at all? This is followed by a more detailed analysis of three categories of posthumous interests arising in the medico-legal context: the proprietary interest in the body of the deceased, the testamentary interest in determining the disposal of one's body after death and the interest in post-mortem medical confidentiality. Sperling concludes that if we acknowledge the interest in one's symbolic existence and legally protect it, not only do some interests survive a person's death but we should also enjoy a peremptory legal power to shape in advance our symbolic existence after death.

Daniel Sperling discusses the legal status of posthumous interests and their possible defeat by actions performed following the death of a person. The author first explores the following questions: Do the dead have interests and/or rights, the defeat of which may constitute harm? What does posthumous harm consist of and when does it occur, if at all? This is followed by a more detailed analysis of three categories of posthumous interests arising in the medico-legal context: the proprietary interest in the body of the deceased, the testamentary interest in determining the disposal of one's body after death and the interest in post-mortem medical confidentiality. Sperling concludes that if we acknowledge the interest in one's symbolic existence and legally protect it, not only do some interests survive a person's death but we should also enjoy a peremptory legal power to shape in advance our symbolic existence after death.

Today there are over a billion vehicles in the world, and within twenty years, the number will double, largely a consequence of China's and India's explosive growth. Given that greenhouse gases are already creating havoc with our climate and that violent conflict in unstable oil-rich nations is on the rise, will matters only get worse? Or are there hopeful signs that effective, realistic solutions can be found?
Blending a concise history of cars and their impact on the world, leading transportation experts Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon explain how we arrived at this state, and what we can do about it. Sperling and Gordon assign blame squarely where it belongs-on the auto-industry, short-sighted government policies, and consumers. They explore such solutions as getting beyond the gas-guzzler monoculture, re-inventing cars, searching for low-carbon fuels, and more. Promising advances in both transportation technology and fuel efficiency together with shifts in traveler behavior, they suggest, offer us a way out of our predicament.
The authors conclude that the two places that have the most troublesome emissions problems--California and China--are the most likely to become world leaders on these issues. Arnold Schwarzenegger's enlightened embrace of eco-friendly fuel policies, which he discusses in the foreword, and China's forthright recognition that it needs far-reaching environmental and energy policies, suggest that if they can tackle the issue effectively and honestly, then there really is reason for hope. Updated with a new afterword that sheds light on the profound changes in the global economy in the last year, Two Billion Cars makes the case for why and how we need to transform transportation now more than ever.

"Authoritatively prescriptive."
--Tom Vanderbilt, Wilson Quarterly
"Provocative and pleasurable, far-seeing and refreshing, fact-based and yet a page-turner, global in scope but rooted in real places. The authors make a convincing case that smart consumers driving smart electric-drive cars can find the critical path to a safer planet."
--Robert Socolow, Princeton University
"In this insightful and persuasive book, Sperling and Gordon highlight one of the biggest environmental challenges of this century: two billion cars. They rightly contend that we cannot avert the worst of global warming without making our cars cleaner and petroleum-free. Luckily the authors also offer a roadmap for navigating this problem that is both visionary and achievable."
--Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council

While state and federal actions have been taken to set new requirements for vehicle efficiency and fuels, tackling travel behavior policies that reduce vehicle-miles-traveled and improve transportation network management is needed if California is to reduce its transportation sector's 38 percent contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. California's unique democracy and global economy is unparallel to any other union. The State is setting new policy directions for sustainable living through transportation planning, but outdated regulatory frameworks must be aligned with supporting paradigm shifts if California is to move forward in a truly unified vision for people-oriented development and transportation.

"This book examines California's transportation planning initiatives since AB 32, with a nuanced eye toward the State's particular rules, laws, politics, and institutions. Lauren Michele provides insights and lessons for policymakers and practitioners-in California and elsewhere-as they strive to create more sustainable communities and transportation systems." "
--Dr. Daniel Sperling; Director/Professor, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis"

In a time where both state and federal efforts are pointing toward sustainable planning, Lauren Michele covers five key topics that are necessary for policymakers practitioners to understand in order to implement sustainable transportation solutions at all levels of government: The Four Circles of GHG Reduction Strategies from Travel Behavior: "
categorizes the existing literature on GHG reduction ranges from land use and transportation strategies into four major themes" Planning Theory and Frameworks in California: "
analyzes how environmental review frameworks, funding structures, and the land use/transportation planning process work at the local, regional, state, and federal levels" Implementing SACOG's Blueprint and Metropolitan Transportation Plan: "
reveals what aspects of California government need policy reform in order to successfully implement SB 375's "Sustainable Communities Strategies" through an analysis of SACOG's Blueprint process, successes, and challenges" Recommendations for New Policy Frameworks in California: "
contains suggestions for statute changes, agency actions, and framework reforms that support AB 32, SB 375, AB 857, and SB 391 objectives" Creating a Federal Framework for Integrated Planning: "
provides recommended language for evolving federal climate/energy bills and the transportation reauthorization to support GHG reduction through the planning process"

Climate and Transportation Solutions features the latest thinking from leaders and experts on transportation, energy and climate issues, bringing insights and recommendations from the 12th meeting of the renowned Asilomar Conference on Transportation and Energy Policy to a broad audience including researchers, policymakers, and students interested in the future of energy and transportation. Climate change is now widely recognized as the most critical environmental problem facing the planet. Transportation is a major cause of the problem, and it has a key role to play in its solution. This book addresses whether it is possible to reduce transport-related CO2 emissions by 50 to 80 percent by 2050, and how this might be accomplished. The UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies organized the July 2009 Asilomar Conference on behalf of the Energy, Alternative Fuels, and Sustainable Transportation committees of the U.S. Transportation Research Board, a research arm of the National Academies. This invitation-only, three-day event hosted 200 of the most sophisticated and knowledgeable experts and leaders on climate policy and transportation from five continents. The chapters of this book evolved from presentations and discussions at the conference. Strategies for reducing GHG emissions from the transportation sector can be categorized into three areas: improving the efficiency of the vehicles, reducing the carbon content in the fuel, and reducing vehicle use. This book addresses the effects of energy use in transportation on global GHG emissions and suggests new policies in each of these areas. The chapters examine climate change and transportation issues and strategies in specific regions of the world, address new policy approaches to reduce GHG emissions, and examine the potential role for new fuels and vehicle technologies in combating climate change.

More than 250 experts from around the world gathered at the Asilomar Transportation and Energy Conference in August 2007 to tackle what many agree is the greatest environmental challenge the world faces: climate change. This 11th Biennial Conference, organized under the auspices of the Energy and Alternative Fuels Committees of the U.S. Transportation Research Board, examined key climate change policy issues and strategies to combat climate impacts from the transportation sector, a leading source of greenhouse gas emissions. This book includes chapters by leading presenters at the Asilomar Conference that reflect the most current views of the world's experts about a critical and rapidly evolving energy and environmental problem. The chapters in this book examine increasing worldwide emissions of greenhouse gases, uncertain oil supply, evolving climate change science, public attitudes toward climate change, and the implications for the U.S. of growth in China, India and elsewhere. They propose methods to reduce growth in vehicle travel through alternative fuel, new technologies, and land use planning. They examine the costs and the potential for greenhouse gas reduction through deployment of advanced technology and alternative fuels and propose strategies to motivate consumers to buy fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, including heavy duty trucks.

For the first time in half a century, real transformative innovations are coming to our world of passenger transportation. The convergence of new shared mobility services with automated and electric vehicles promises to significantly reshape our lives and communities for the better--or for the worse. The dream scenario could bring huge public and private benefits, including more transportation choices, greater affordability and accessibility, and healthier, more livable cities, along with reduced greenhouse gas emissions. The nightmare scenario could bring more urban sprawl, energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and unhealthy cities and individuals. In Three Revolutions, transportation expert Dan Sperling, along with seven other leaders in the field, share research-based insights on potential public benefits and impacts of the three transportation revolutions. They describe innovative ideas and partnerships, and explore the role government policy can play in steering the new transportation paradigm toward the public interest--toward our dream scenario of social equity, environmental sustainability, and urban livability. Many factors will influence these revolutions--including the willingness of travelers to share rides and eschew car ownership; continuing reductions in battery, fuel cell, and automation costs; and the adaptiveness of companies. But one of the most important factors is policy. Three Revolutions offers policy recommendations and provides insight and knowledge that could lead to wiser choices by all. With this book, Sperling and his collaborators hope to steer these revolutions toward the public interest and a better quality of life for everyone.