Discuss alternative forms of public transportation systems for urban areas and the political-economic issues in promoting those systems.

Answer one question from Part A and one question from Part B. Read each question carefully and answer all parts of the questions you select. Try to keep the length of each easy about the same, i.e. 2 to 2 ½ pages per essay.

Part A:

1. Discuss alternative forms of public transportation systems for urban areas and the political-economic issues in promoting those systems.

2. Can there be a sustainable form of private transportation, i.e. where the vehicles are privately owned? Discuss.

3. Critically discuss alternative conceptions/definitions of sustainability. Why isn’t there consensus on that topic?

4. What obstacles are there to the diffusion of greener transportation systems? How can they be overcome?

Part B:

1. Discuss and evaluate the role of local, state, and national governments in promoting or retarding the diffusion of hydrofracking.

2. Evaluate the environmental consequences and social costs of accidents in the oil industry vs. coal mining vs. hydrofracking vs. nuclear power. Who bears these costs?

3. List the likely reasons for the relatively slow diffusion of electric car technologies. Reference the movie which was assigned for class (“Who killed the electric car?”). What is required for the diffusion period to be shortened?

4. Discuss the economic reasons more families don’t live off of “the grid”. What are the reasons more individual homeowners haven’t shifted to solar or wind power for electrical generation in their homes?

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