Carlo Bertani

Excited to announce the release of our new white paper, "Best Practices for Gig Drivers' Transition to Electric Vehicles," published by Forth. As the lead author, it’s been an incredibly rewarding project to work on. The report offers insights for stakeholders like gig drivers, utilities, lawmakers, EV charging companies, and TNC companies. Special thanks to our partners for their invaluable insights and support. Curious about how EVs can revolutionize the gig economy? Dive in and explore! #ElectricVehicles #transportation #GigEconomy #Sustainability

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It gets a little cold up north in the winter. This has been one of my largest contentions to electrification of day cab tractors doing local shift work...because the battery life shortens as the temperature drops which makes an operation that slip seats day cabs to run 24 hrs a day extremely unproductive. A cleaner diesel alternative like renewable diesel (different from biodiesel, of which I'm not a fan), which has fewer emmissions, no additional engineering requirements for tractor burn to traditional petroleum diesel, and a cloud point of -40 degrees fahrenheit, makes far more sense. #diesel #trucking #renewable

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Did you know that recycling oyster shells can save businesses thousands of dollars? According to a recent article in the WSJ, one New York business was able to save $10,000 over eight years just by recycling oyster shells! As an avid oyster enjoyer, I found this strategy fascinating. However, it begs the question: will this strategy be fruitful in the long run or will it use up extra time and resources? Check out the article below to learn more about this innovative approach to sustainability. #oysters #sustainability #recycling AJ Poulin Link to article: https://lnkd.in/dK2KY3MH

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"Although the freight-rail industry is responsible for less than 2% of transportation-related greenhouse-gas emissions in the U.S., rail carriers—like the rest of the transportation industry—are under pressure to reduce those emissions, much of which are produced by diesel-electric locomotives." Next-Generation locomotives will run into the same limited range issues as cars and trucks...but to a greater extent due to extreme weights, distances, and terrains. "As a result, freight operators are investing in diesel-electric models that are more fuel-efficient, as well as exploring alternative ways to power locomotives, homing in on three main technologies: batteries, biodiesel and hydrogen." #CSCCSCM #Rail #Railroads #Freight #Intermodal #Transportation #Logistics #Supplychain #ElectricVehicles #batteries #biodiesel #hydrogen #environment #carbonfootprint

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Check out LBCT article that came out today!

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We want to know: what questions do you have about using software like Prime Coalition and Rho Impact’s CRANE tool to assess future emissions impact? Maybe… What technologies can you assess? How much knowledge do you need to use these tools? What do the report outs look like? Drop your questions here and join us on June 13 for the answers! 👇 https://lnkd.in/eJkCpbSn #ImpactAccountability #ClimateChange #ClimateTech #ImpactInvesting

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It really shouldn't be OK that we're failing 51% of the population. Susan B. Anthony wrote in 1896: "I think [the bicycle] has done more to emancipate women than any one thing in the world. I rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a bike. It gives her a feeling of self-reliance and independence the moment she takes her seat; and away she goes, the picture of untrammeled womanhood." And yet... 🤼 In U.S. cities today, male cyclists typically outnumber women cyclists two-to-one. (In contrast, in Copenhagen, women cyclists outnumber male cyclists.) 🙎‍♀️ Research has found that women are more risk-averse in their decision of whether to bike. And for good reason, one study found drivers are three times more likely to encroach on a female cyclist’s space than a male’s. 🚲 🚘 The installation of dedicated cycling infrastructure has shown to increase women’s cycling participation by an additional 4% to 6%. An even larger increase was observed on routes for which more than 80% of the mileage can be ridden on a protected path. 💻 👩‍👧‍👦 The writer argues, to change urban female cycling habits, we also need a campaign to convince American women that they can safely carry their kids, groceries and laptops (ie. carry out daily life) by bike. ⚡ 🔋 And that e-bikes, along with safer streets, could be part of the solution to meeting Susan B. Anthony's vision for the bike as a liberator -- now from carbon as well. Fantastic piece by Cara Eckholm for Bloomberg. #ridegreen #ebikes #micromobility #women #equality #sustainability #smartcities #sharedmobility #mobility

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Today, we consider application of advanced technologies to improve rail safety. Three examples: 1. The latest "The Signal" newsletter from the Association of American Railroads features a review of technology adoption by railroads, hosted by my former colleague at the Federal Railroad Administration, the supremely talented Brenda Moscoso (subscribe for yourself here https://lnkd.in/gEarayGV) . As Congress reviews the final report from the National Transportation Safety Board on the East Palestine incident (once released in full), they would do well to find ways of incentivizing adoption of new diagnostic technologies, both on the wayside and on the railcars themselves. 2. A three judge panel of federal Fifth Circuit court of appeals ruled that the Federal Railroad Administration must expand an earlier waiver granted to BNSF Railway to expand use of automated track inspection technology while reducing the frequency of visual inspections, as explained by Bill Stephens below (you can download the opinion here https://lnkd.in/g4g8KD67). The panel quotes from the FRA's original 2021 waiver allowing the track inspections on a pilot basis, finding that the FRA's Safety Board issuing the waiver stated: “The Board is ...providing specific conditions, which if met, will allow BNSF to expand implementation of the relief in a consistent and safe manner.” 3. The FRA's labored consideration of this track inspection technology is mirrored in another waiver involving BNSF, in which wayside wheel temperature detectors identify railcars with suspect brake systems which are then set out for inspection and repair. The use of the technology would be accompanied by a reduction in mandatory intermediate brake inspections on trains where no defects are detected. Mr. Stephens explains the situation with a bit of opinion in this piece from this January (https://lnkd.in/gCxkAxDb). Unlike the track inspection waiver request, this request has the support of the affected union, the Brotherhood of Railroad Carmen (the union, not the opera). The statutory waiver process offers the FRA a chance to work with all parties to adopt the "nudge" strategy advocated by Cass Sunstein and Richard Thaler in their 2009 book, "Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness" (https://lnkd.in/giwYU6mT). The benefits of this form of structured experimentation depend on being willing to take the "wins" the "nudging" may generate. #railsafety #freight #technology #regulation

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Governments can easily solve their landfill methane emissions by getting together to help other governments eliminate their landfill methane emissions worldwide…as they did with CFC’s. “Or…they can just talk & do nothing, just blaming cows for methane & taxing the farmers, which increases food costs & stress on families globally!” If Alberta, Canada can get rid of rats & keep rats out for decades…so too can other provinces, states, cities & nations. Politicians who eliminate their rats, will have the confidence & ability to easily solve other problems, including eliminate landfill methane emissions which is far easier to solve than eliminating rats! So…who is going to step up & lead your city, province, state & nation to eliminate your landfill methane emissions? Probably the same leaders who will eliminate their rats as well!! “There are leaders…& there are followers! Democracies get to vote on who leads us! “The best question to ask politicians before we vote for them is “what are the largest problems you have personally targeted, tackled & solved?” If they have no answer…you may have your answer! You must celebrate & praise your government/administration leaders who’s actions solve one problem after another, quickly & permanently! If so…you can also the rats out!

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Summer 2023, FRA issued a final rule on Fatigue Risk Management Programs for select freight and passenger railroads. This is a component of the railroads’ larger railroad safety Risk Reduction Programs.     Prior to issuance of the final rule, psychologists from the FRA Offices of Railroad Safety and Research, Data, and Innovation hosted several training sessions to assist the railroads understand the regulatory requirements. The inclusive training sessions were comprised of discussions regarding each regulation along with a Q&A, quick-start meetings with actionable tips and guidance, best practices sessions, and office hours.  FRA Senior Engineering Psychologist Amanda Emo, Ph.D. explains, “When a railroad submits their plan to FRA for review and approval, we literally use a tracker that lists every single element and where it is in the regulation, and we go step-by-step and make sure that their plan addresses every required element.”  You can read the final rule here: https://lnkd.in/guPA7FQj 

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Did US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fairly consider all options in achieving GHG reduction goals from heavy duty trucks? No. EPA did not consider the substantial GHG mitigation opportunity for using renewable fuels in internal combustion engines. That's the basis of this challenge by the Clean Fuels Alliance America. There are many paths to decarbonization, advanced diesel and natural gas engines using renewable fuels should be one of them.

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CARB's new "In-Use Locomotive Regulation" is set to force railroads to replace locomotives over 23 years old with zero-emission versions. While this regulation aims to reduce particulate matter in the air and nitrogen oxide levels, many short lines in the industry may go out of business due to the high cost of compliance. Larger railways could also be forced to put $800 million per year into "spending accounts" to pay for the switchover. But there is a solution. Our 6-in-1 green fuel technology can deliver 10%-23% net savings on fuel spend, while also unlocking power gains and slashing emissions. And with a money-back guarantee, there's no risk in giving it a try. Whether you're looking to enhance your locomotive fleet's performance, comply with emissions regulations, or simply cut down on fuel costs, our solution is tailored to meet your needs. Let's discuss how our proven technology can drive results for your rail operations.

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Should I drink 5000 cans of beer each year or fly to the Transportation Research Board annual conference in Washington? The myclimate website suggests that "In order to stop climate change this is the maximum amount of CO2 that can be generated by a single person in a year: 0.600tCO2". I'm not sure what 'stop climate change' means but let's run with this figure. Us greedy Europeans on average generate 7.2tCO2/year the site says. According to Statistica you can double that for the average person in the US. Who wants to be average? But let's assume we all are. That means the Europeans are really going to have to tighten their belts; and the Americans are really, really going to have to if they want to be average citizens of planet earth who want to stop climate change. An average citizen of earth, if they did NOTHING ELSE (including nothing when they got to TRB!) would be able to fly to Washington from London economy class every 3-4 years. So why the beer? Well, I was prompted by a comment, on one of my recent posts, by David A Hensher AM, PhD, FASSA, FAITPM, FCILT about the CO2 emissions from the prospect of me drinking beer with Tim Sullivan and Tom van Vuren MBE. According to an academic paper from the University of Leeds published in January 2024 ('Development of an open-source carbon footprint calculator of the UK craft brewing value chain'), the scope 1+2+3 emissions from an aluminimum can of beer of the sort I'm holding below is about 400g CO2e (see Fig 3 in the paper - I've taken the high carbon footprint scenario to be conservative [Ha! Imagine me being conservative]). So, if I didn't fly to TRB, I could instead have 5250 cans of glorious 'Black Mass' ale, lovingly brewed to achieve the Number of the Beast alcohol content (sorry, I digress! 🤘) According to the brewer's website, a can would cost me £3.33. The cheapest economy class return flight I could find this morning for TRB in January 2025 is £620. How many cans of beer would I get for £620? 186 cans. In terms of a currency exchange £ to CO2, that means the flight is 28 times cheaper than the beer in terms of the CO2 I'd be emitting (5250/186). So what am I saying here to conclude? 1. Would 5250 cans of Black Mass bring me more or less happiness than going to TRB once? More, if I could also listen to heavy metal while drinking, and not have to drink more than a 30th of those cans each year. 2. If you want to address your carbon footprint, take care of the big stuff (flying) not the small stuff (drinking beer). 3. Flying is DIRT CHEAP in relation to the impact it is having on CO2 emissions. #carboncalculator #co2emissions #offsets #flying

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Join The Carbon Conversation today! The U.S. Department of Treasury released guidance on how sustainable farming practices can contribute to lowering the carbon intensity of corn-based ethanol and soybean oil used for sustainable aviation fuel production. “We are encouraged that, for the first time ever, this carbon scoring framework will recognize and credit certain climate-smart agricultural practices,” says Geoff Cooper, CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA). “We’re also pleased to see the integration of other carbon reduction strategies—like renewable process energy and carbon capture and sequestration—into the model. However, RFA believes less prescription on ag practices, more flexibility, and additional low-carbon technologies and practices should be added to the modeling framework to better reflect the innovation occurring throughout the supply chain.” https://lnkd.in/gz_6T_FQ

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AIR QUALITY & TRANSPORTATION: Our nation needs more public (vs adhoc private) air quality monitoring station along our urban highways, industrial areas and port facilities. The GOOD: "Since the [US] Clean Air Act was signed into law in 1970, emissions of the six most common air pollutants have fallen by 78%, according to the [US] EPA." CBS News reports on the American Lung Association report. The BAD: "But experts warn that climate change has made air quality harder to manage in spite of policies designed to protect it, especially as growing sections of the country grapple with soaring temperatures, longstanding drought and unprecedented wildfires." "According to the report, after Bakersfield, the worst [US] cities for year-round particle pollution between 2020 and 2022 were": Visalia, California Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California Eugene-Springfield, Oregon San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California Los Angeles-Long Beach, California Sacramento-Roseville, California Medford-Grants Pass, Oregon Phoenix-Mesa, Arizona Fairbanks, Alaska https://lnkd.in/gs98si9j

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"NOAA National Weather Service forecasters at the Climate Prediction Center predict above-normal hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, which spans from June 1 to November 30, predicts an 85% chance of an above-normal season, a 10% chance of a near-normal season and a 5% chance of a below-normal season." #weather #fema #sagefreight #sagetruckload

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EPA proposals would create unprecedented reliability risks around the country. Yet, the EPA doesn't bother to model what those risks would be. Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its finalized rules regulating carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal plants and new natural gas plants. The rules have garnered criticism from industry, grid operators, and lawmakers, including Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who claimed the regulations would undermine grid reliability at a time when demand for electricity is expected to surge in the coming decades. Given the fact that the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) is already warning that two-thirds of the country is at an elevated or high risk of blackouts in the next few years, you would think the EPA would carefully model the reliability impacts of its latest regulations to ensure they won’t make this problem worse. But you'd be wrong. EPA explicitly states that it "does not conduct operational reliability studies" despite its policies having a huge impact on the grid. Instead, it relies on resource adequacy, which isn't a suitable replacement for a robust reliability analysis. To understand why, read my and Isaac Orr's latest piece below 👇 https://lnkd.in/gKHXMD_u

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Ships calling at US ports should reduce CO2e emissions by 20% by 2027, 45% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040 on a well-to-wake basis – joint letter The Biden administration aims to achieve net-zero emissions in the US freight sector by 2050. To strengthen this effort, 45 organizations have jointly urged the administration to issue an Executive Order outlining "specific time-bound actions" for shipping. Signatories to the letter include ABB, Pacific Environment, Ocean Conservancy, Coalition for Clean Air and The Ocean Project. It will “unlock opportunities and innovation for decarbonizing the maritime sector and future-proof this critical component of our supply chains,” the letter says. The letter makes several recommendations, including: ⏩ Goal-based standard under the existing Clean Air Act mandating all vessels calling at US ports to reduce carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2e) emissions by 20% by 2027, 45% by 2030, 80% by 2035 and 100% by 2040 on a well-to-wake basis. ⏩ A Zero-Emission Vessel Innovation Fund with existing federal loan programs and allocate at least $500 million towards the development and deployment of low- and zero-emission vessels. It should include both newbuilds and retrofits. ⏩ Phase out and eventually ban the use of scrubbers. Require ships to use low-sulphur fuels or zero-emission technologies in US waters. Take a look at other recommendations on ENGINE 👉 https://rb.gy/soo8k1

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