The City of Chicago has been challenged by WBEZ’s Dear Chicago series to develop greener and more environmentally sustainable management of its transportation fleet.
Forrest Jehlik, a research engineer at the Argonne National Laboratory, asks Chicago, who brands itself as an environmentally progressive city, to “put its money where its mouth is and green the fleet.”
Chicago, whose Department of Fleet Management has approximately 13,000 vehicles that include automobiles, trucks, fire and construction equipment, only spends $164,000 on alternative fuels compared to the $24 million on gasoline and diesel, according to WBEZ.
Jehlik, who works fuel consumption reduction for vehicles, explains that driving habits, technology and diversification of the fleet to alternative fuels like compressed natural gas and electric vehicles can help Chicago to become a “world leader” in the sustainable transportation movement.
He is quick to warn, however, that, “There’s not one silver bullet. There are more like a lot of silver shotgun pellets, and you need to find the right shotgun pellet to address the issue.”
“What I’d like to see the city do,” Jehlik says, “if it really wants to make good on its green image, is take a look at the entire transportation sector to see what the free market could do to reduce their petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions, and truly reflect the image of Chicago as a leader of clean transportation.”
For more info:
Chicago Department of Fleet Management
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