Transportation Fellow Anthony Perl endorses Obama rail plan.
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Press Release Summary:
Anthony Perl, Transportation Fellow of Post Carbon Institute, has endorsed President Obama's announcement of $8 billion in funding for national high-speed rail system. According to Perl, it is time to connect high-speed rail plan with emerging smart grid, since most major U.S. corridors will need to be electrified over next 25 yr. Perl also proposes partnership with Asia and Europe to share knowledge, which could generate more jobs and economic development.
Original Press Release:
Transportation Expert Endorses Obama Rail Plan: Proposes U.S. Partnership with Europe & Asia
SANTA ROSA, CA - Post Carbon Institute Transportation Fellow Anthony Perl, endorses President Obama's announcement of $8 billion in funding for a national high-speed rail system.
"The Obama administration's launch of a high-speed rail program is the most important transportation initiative that the U.S. has seen in my 47 year lifetime. The program opens the door to a post-carbon mobility future in ways that tinkering with vehicle fuel efficiency, auto emissions and 'intelligent' vehicle and highway designs can never accomplish," says Perl, who recently met with Prince Charles to discuss ecological urban planning.
PERL CHAMPIONS LINKING RAIL TO SMART GRID
"All of these fast trains will be powered by electricity, an open-ended energy carrier that can blend renewable energy sources with a decreasing carbon content. Most of the major corridors in the US will need to be electrified in the next 25 years, meaning now would be the ideal time to connect the high-speed rail plan with the emerging 'smart grid'. New transmission lines could be run atop the tracks, with a periodic step-down of their current to power freight and passenger trains without using a drop of oil."
PERL PROPOSES U.S. PARTNERSHIP WITH EUROPE/ASIA FOR JOB CREATION
"Now is the time to recognize that the United States has a lot to learn from others when it comes to building modern passenger trains. We face a steep learning curve in building modern electric railroad infrastructure and equipment after decades of neglect and disinvestment. We should partner with Asia and Europe to share their know-how, rather than reinventing the wheel at greater expense and with more mistakes than if we opt to 'go it alone'. If we can overcome the hubris of having only a 'made in the USA' high-speed train, we will get where we need to be a lot faster, and generate more jobs and economic development as a result."
About Anthony Perl
Anthony Perl is Director of the Urban Studies Program at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, British Columbia; he has previously worked at the City University of New York, the University of Calgary, and Université Lumière in Lyon, France. He has authored or co-authored four books, most recently "Transport Revolutions: Moving People and Freight Without Oil" (2008). Anthony's research crosses disciplinary and national boundaries to explore the policy decisions that affect transportation, cities and the environment. He has published in scholarly journals such as Energy Policy, Transportation Research, Transportation Quarterly, World Transport Policy and Practice, and Scientific American.
About Post Carbon Institute
Post Carbon Institute provides individuals, communities, businesses, and governments with the resources needed to understand and respond to the interrelated economic, energy, and environmental crises that define the 21st century. PCI envisions a world of resilient communities and re-localized economies that thrive within ecological bounds.
http://www.postcarboninstitute.org
