The Obama administration envisions a “low-carbon, low-petroleum” future where Americans tele-work, tele-shop, walk, bike and use carpools or mass transit if they must leave the neighborhood at all.
A study released Friday by the U.S. Department of Energy says the U.S. has the potential to reduce petroleum use and pollution in the transportation sector by more than 80 percent by 2050. In other words, gasoline-powered cars may go the way of the dinosaur, and many Americans may end up living in planned, mixed-use, “walkable” neighborhoods, built along mass transit lines.
The study — titled Transportation Energy Futures — offers “an inclusive approach,” including increased fuel economy for all types of vehicles; reduced use of transportation by car; and the expanded use of low-carbon fuels, such as biofuels, electricity, and hydrogen.
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