Fossil fuels, transport, and public health

The recent protests in Britain over the price of fuel initially seemed to enjoy public support: any cause that might put more money in the public's pocket is superficially attractive. But our dependence on motor vehicles powered by fossil fuels incurs an array of external costs to the environment and the public's health. Further, the resultant accumulation of carbon dioxide—a greenhouse gas with a very long life—is storing up trouble for us and for future generations.

In 1994 the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution pointed out that methods of transport had changed dramatically over the previous 25 years. In Britain the average daily distance travelled per person has risen by 75% to around 18 miles.1 Most of this reflects an increase in the use of cars, amounting to a 10-fold increase in distances travelled over 40 years. This has been accompanied by a decrease in travel by bus, coach, bicycle, and in walking. Transport of freight by road has also increased but at the expense of rail travel. Yet if the external costs of road …