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The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) invites you to a Congressional briefing discussing the public health impacts of the transportation sector while exploring the role of alternative fuels and advanced technologies in improving environmental quality, energy security and public health.

In the United States, the transportation sector is nearly 97 percent dependent on petroleum.  In 2005, oil imports have hit record highs at 10.8 million barrels per day with more than two-thirds being consumed by the nation’s cars, trucks and buses.  Persistently high oil prices, concerns over energy security and public health impacts have led to an increased interest in alternative fuels and technologies as well as improving efficiency in the transportation sector.

Another important factor driving improvements in transportation is the negative health effects of petroleum use.  In 2004, vehicles were responsible for over one-third of all harmful air pollutant emissions in the United States. According to the American Lung Association, 52 percent or 159 million Americans live in counties with unhealthy levels of ozone or particulate matter.  In fact, the transportation sector is responsible for 82 percent of carbon monoxide and 56 percent of the total nitrogen oxide emissions in the country, both of which are precursors of ozone formation. Recent studies on the harmful health impacts of these air pollutants have helped emphasize the need for cleaner fuels and advanced technology deployment in the transportation sector.

A key component of a strategy to reduce oil consumption and emissions in the transportation sector is public transportation.  Transit offers opportunities for efficiency improvements and transition to cleaner technologies and fuels on a large scale, resulting in improved air quality and decreased consumption of fossil fuels.  Across the country, public and private fleets are successfully adopting new technologies like hybrids and alternative fuels like biodiesel and natural gas with significant environmental and public health benefits.

Topics to be discussed at this briefing include:

• Health impacts of air pollution from transportation emissions.
• Role of advanced technologies like hybrids and alternative fuels in addressing public health, environmental and energy consumption concerns.
• Transit – opportunities for efficiency improvements and transition to cleaner technologies and fuels.

Speakers:

• Representative Christopher Shays (R-CT)  
• George D. Thurston, Sc. D., Associate Professor of Environmental Medicine, New York University (NYU) School of Medicine and Deputy Director of NYU's EPA Particulate Matter Research Center
  Presentation
• Joseph Romm, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for Energy & Climate Solutions. Dr. Romm, former Acting Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, is a leading expert on energy efficiency and advanced transportation technologies.
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• Kevin O'Connor, Senior Project Leader, Center for Transportation Technologies & Systems, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
  Presentation