Critical sustainability and energy consumption in urban transport

• Published in: Glasnik Srpskog geografskog društva (1948) Vol. 90; no. 3; pp. 153 - 170
• Main Author: Jovanovic, Miomir
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serbian Geographical Society 2010
• Subjects: American cities; critical sustainability; energy consumption; Third world metropolises
• ISSN: 0350-3593; 2406-078X
• DOI: 10.2298/GSGD1003153J

Industrialized countries are exploiting the world energy resources very quickly (although they do not have enough of their own energy reserves). On the other hand, population of the Third world simply exploded during the last few decades. Hence, the real problem may occur if the Third world metropolises follow the example of the auto-dependent, low density suburban development of American cities. The effects will be disastrous: 14 times more energy consumption and 9 times higher emissions of CO2 (in the sphere of urban transportation). Razvijene zemlje zahvataju najvise svetskih energetskih resursa, dok su njihove sopstvene rezerve na izdisaju, a potrosnja energije im se i dalje nezadrzivo povecava. Pravi problem ce nastati tek kada siromasni svet (koji za sada ima zanemarljivu potrosnju energije, ali i eksplozivno narastajuci broj stanovnika) ostvari znatno brzu stopu ekonomskog razvoja. Ukoliko u narednim decenijama i metropole Treceg sveta prihvate pro-automobilski obrazac urbanog razvoja niskih gustina naseljenosti - to ce doneti stvarno nesagledive posledice - 14 puta vecu ukupnu potrosnju energije i 9 puta vecu ukupnu emisiju CO2.