Transport Economics: pollution costs from different modes

If you’re starting out in transport economics, a good place to begin is by evaluating different modes of transport. One area you’re sure to look at is pollution. Here’s a statement I sometimes use to start the conversation:Rolls-Royce says the four engines on the A380 are as clean and efficient as any jet engine, and produce “as much power as 3,500 family cars”. A simple calculation shows that the equivalent of more than six cars is needed to fly each passenger.Take the calculation further: flying a fully laden A380 is, in terms of energy, like a nine-mile queue of traffic on the road below. And that is just one aircraft. In 20 years, Airbus reckons, 1,500 such planes will be in the air. By then, the total number of airliners is expected to have doubled, to 22,000. And whereas cars are used roughly for about an hour or so a day, long-haul jet airliners are on the move for at least 10 hours a day.I’ve started putting together some more links below:

Great background material from here: Is jet travel becoming the dirtiest way to cross the planet?

A quick starter on the huge issue of road traffic and cars: Clobbering the motorist may not be the best approach

Container shipping is a massive source of air pollution: Action urged on ships' carbon emissions

Great time lapse Twitter pic of planes taking off here