Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis

Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis

This paper is a critical review of research on long-distance passenger rail energy consumption that examines the factors that affect the energy intensity of rail, the comparative energy intensity of alternative modes (auto, air and bus), and the sources of discrepancies between different published e...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Michael Minn
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
energy intensity
passenger railroads
Amtrak
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/4/1200
id doaj-cb738991612749e2b372abb35082a3de
record_format Article
spelling doaj-cb738991612749e2b372abb35082a3de2020-11-24T20:48:14ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502019-02-01114120010.3390/su11041200su11041200Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity AnalysisMichael Minn0Department of History, Politics, and Geography, Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY 11735-1021, USAThis paper is a critical review of research on long-distance passenger rail energy consumption that examines the factors that affect the energy intensity of rail, the comparative energy intensity of alternative modes (auto, air and bus), and the sources of discrepancies between different published energy intensity figures. The ambiguities underlying those discrepancies point to a fundamental question about what phenomenon is being quantified in energy intensity analysis, and whether any transport mode can be said to universally have an energy intensity advantage over other modes at all times, places and scales. This ontological question may be as significant as the epistemic conflicts dominating discourses over competing studies and analytical approaches.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/4/1200energy intensitypassenger railroadsAmtrak
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Michael Minn
spellingShingle Michael Minn
Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
Sustainability
energy intensity
passenger railroads
Amtrak
author_facet Michael Minn
author_sort Michael Minn
title Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
title_short Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
title_full Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
title_fullStr Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Contested Power: American Long-Distance Passenger Rail and the Ambiguities of Energy Intensity Analysis
title_sort contested power: american long-distance passenger rail and the ambiguities of energy intensity analysis
publisher MDPI AG
series Sustainability
issn 2071-1050
publishDate 2019-02-01
description This paper is a critical review of research on long-distance passenger rail energy consumption that examines the factors that affect the energy intensity of rail, the comparative energy intensity of alternative modes (auto, air and bus), and the sources of discrepancies between different published energy intensity figures. The ambiguities underlying those discrepancies point to a fundamental question about what phenomenon is being quantified in energy intensity analysis, and whether any transport mode can be said to universally have an energy intensity advantage over other modes at all times, places and scales. This ontological question may be as significant as the epistemic conflicts dominating discourses over competing studies and analytical approaches.
topic energy intensity
passenger railroads
Amtrak
url https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/4/1200
work_keys_str_mv AT michaelminn contestedpoweramericanlongdistancepassengerrailandtheambiguitiesofenergyintensityanalysis
_version_ 1716808521232678912

Similar Items