AMTRAK IS THE GREENER WAY TO TRAVEL America’s passenger railroad celebrates Earth Day everyday
WASHINGTON– Recognized as one of the most energy efficient modes of transportation, Amtrak continues to lead the way to make its intercity passenger rail operations even greener with practices and tactics for improved fuel efficiency.
“In our business, lower emissions and energy use are not only worthwhile targets in and of themselves—they are an indicator that you are making the right kinds of improvement in your operations,” Amtrak President and CEO Joseph Boardman said recently in a keynote address at a climate change forum.
Boardman explained that being Greener is one of six strategic goals for America’s passenger railroad. In support of that goal, Amtrak has embarked on a number of measures to lower fuel consumption, reduce emissions and make better use of resources.
For example, he said Amtrak is taking a new approach to the type of fuel it uses. To comply with new federal regulations, low-sulfur diesel fuel has been replaced with ultra low-sulfur fuel across the railroad.
Earlier this week in Oklahoma and Texas, Amtrak announced the nation’s first in-service test of a cleaner and renewable biodiesel fuel blended with twenty percent beef byproducts to power the Heartland Flyer (Oklahoma City – Fort Worth) interstate passenger train that is expected to reduce hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide each by 10 percent, particulates by 15 percent and sulfates by 20 percent.
“Traveling by rail is approximately 20 percent more fuel efficient than airlines and 28 percent more than automobiles on a per-passenger-mile basis, and thus generates a lesser amount of carbon dioxide than both air and car travel,” said Roy Deitchman, Vice President, Environmental, Health and Safety. “Even as Amtrak has increased train miles and frequencies across the country, we continue to reduce our consumption of diesel fuel, thanks to improved practices and conservation measures.”
Amtrak is a charter member of the Chicago Climate Exchange that established a “cap and trade” market after organizations committed to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. To date, Amtrak has exceeded all of the required annual reduction targets and recently committed to reducing emissions by an additional sever percent in 2011 and 2012. Amtrak is also a member of The Climate Registry and Climate Counts, organizations that assist the railroad with assessing and evaluating its carbon footprint and contribution to greenhouse gas emissions.
During the past year, Amtrak completed a project to convert trash receptacles for recycling bottles and cans on every café and lounge car throughout the Amtrak system, making recycling available on all routes nationwide that have food service. In addition, new built-in receptacles are being installed for recycling paper, bottles and cans in café cars and First class cars on all Amtrak high-speed Acela Express trainsets.
In Fiscal Year 2009, recycling programs at Amtrak facilities netted more than 6,100 tons of steel parts and scrap steel; 215,000 gallons of used oil; 100 tons of cable or wire; 16,000 pounds of polycarbonate windows; 6,500 pounds of mattress foam; and 50 tons of paper.
Other environmental management programs and practices implemented by Amtrak to move the railroad toward a more sustainable transportation system, include: reducing the amount of “idling” time on diesel locomotives; using dynamic and regenerative braking systems on electric locomotives to return energy to the grid; employing bio-lubricants in hydraulic systems; and using lighter and more aerodynamic vehicle carriers on the Auto Train. Passengers can even purchase carbon offsets for their travel on Amtrak.
Posts: 2236 | From: Evanston, Ill. and Ontonagon, Mich. | Registered: Feb 2007
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Yup....they're pretty green when the HUGE bags of disposable plates, cups, bowls, etc, are thrown out every day at train stations all across America.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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True, Smitty, but at least they are taking advantage of the green earth scams regarding the global warming CO2 myth & the anti-oil bio-diesel experiment. Ya gotta give Amtrak credit for that!
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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-------------------- Matt Visit gallery for photos of our train layouts Posts: 579 | From: San Bernardino Subdivison | Registered: Dec 2001
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quote:Originally posted by Mike Smith: True, Smitty, but at least they are taking advantage of the green earth scams regarding the global warming CO2 myth & the anti-oil bio-diesel experiment. Ya gotta give Amtrak credit for that!
Yup---same at SFO. They actually have ATM-style machines at SFO in ALL of their terminals where you can "calculate" your carbon footprint for your specific flight, and then like the boobs that we are, insert money and pay to "offset" the footprint. It's to buy carbon credits. Whoever thought up this scam is quite smart---guilt people into buying something they don't need, that doesn't work, that is completely bogus, and make a profit from it! I just shake my head in disgust....
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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Oh no, the Smith Bros. are back, and they've co-opted another thread!
Here's some more fuel for your fire. I am working (temporarily, of course) for the Census Bureau along with probably about a million or so other formerly unemployed or underemployed Americans. Look up "anti-green" in the dictionary, and you will see a picture of the Census Bureau. EVERYTHING is paper-based this time around as opposed to being enumerated on hand-held computers as in 2000. The rain forests will NEVER come back based on my observations of the ENORMOUS mountains of paper this effort is using! Of course, the jobs picture will look better for a few months, but what happens in July and August when the census workers hit the streets again at the completion of the job?
Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Well Ocala Mike, just for the record, I am an "environmentalist" of sorts....but I am NOT an "extremist". I believe in recycling, not being wasteful, etc...and I believe that this is just common sense. But crap like carbon credits??? And Amtrak claiming they are "green" and throwing away MASSIVE amounts of garbage instead of using washable plates?? That makes me sick---it is such an incredible waste!!! No, not because it's going to make the earth turn into a ball of fire, but because it's just a ridiculous and non-necessary waste of paper and plastic products. And they are NOT recycling that stuff---it all goes into the dumpster at the train depot.
So why has the Census Bureau switched from computers to paper? Is it easier to cheat with papers? Seriously....I'm just wondering. I don't trust our president, and the census determines a great deal of political things. Why would they not go computerized like last time? My petsitter is a Census Worker---I've been meaning to ask her how that's going.
Posts: 2355 | From: Pleasanton, CA | Registered: Apr 2007
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I believe it has to do with perfecting the "audit trail"; i.e., checking on the work that the field enumerators do on their canvassing of the "nonresponse" addresses (usually around 20-30% of all addresses in the country who don't mail back their census forms, although this year it's running higher than expected, believe it or not). The handheld computers that were relied on in 2000 left a lot to be desired in the quality control area.
-------------------- Ocala Mike Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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Ocala Mike, I realize it might look, to you, that we have co-opted another thread, but we are discussing Amtrak and Earth Day...
That said, I have been using energy efficient lighting on my house since 1986, (PL-13 for exterior lighting). That would be 15 watts worth of electricity, instead of the standard 60 watts, times 24 years worth of savings.
And regarding your co-opt, our federal government is convinced that we citizens are stupid, so they MUST dumb down everything to the lowest common denominator. I see they hired you...
And don't forget... the paper you are filling out today, can be shredded and recycled tomorrow.
Posts: 1418 | From: Houston, Republic of Texas | Registered: Jan 2001
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And regarding your co-opt, our federal government is convinced that we citizens are stupid, so they MUST dumb down everything to the lowest common denominator. I see they hired you...
They not only hired me, but they originally had me working in the Dumbing Down Department. They transferred me out quickly though when it was discovered that I lacked the prerequisite for working in that section, which is Texas residency.
-------------------- Ocala Mike Posts: 1530 | From: Ocala, FL | Registered: Dec 2006
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