If You Want Big Emissions Cuts, Look To The 18-Wheelers

Trucking makes up only a small percent of all traffic, but a giant percent of our total emissions. If we want to cut greenhouse gasses quickly, it’s time to revamp our freight fleet. The best part is it wouldn’t be that hard at all. Transport accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with road transport making up 75% of that. Freight, in particular, produces 5.75% of all GHGs. Climate scientists will tell you all carbon is worth minimizing. But some areas of the economy are more abundant sources of savings than others. A new report looks at Class 8 trucks--which includes fuel-carriers, fire and dump trucks, re-fridgerated vans, and tour buses--and finds they could be a particularly fruitful area. By applying seven relatively cheap and widely available fixes, the study says the U.S. could reduce its GHGs by 624 million metric tons by 2022--or rough...