An exercise on the rational use of energy: the collective transportation

Abstract

Recently the theme of the rational use of energy has been presented by the media as an exclusive problem of the productive sector, mainly those linked to the electric power. Though, due to its interdisciplinary characteristic, that theme allows the analysis of several processes of energy transformation and these propitiate a reflection regarding development models, mainly with respect to the energy planning. As exercise example for understanding the rational use of energy, in this work it is presented a comparative evaluation among two types of vehicles destined to two forms of passengers' transportation: private and collective. In account of the differences between those two types of vehicles, the needs of petroleum processing and their participation in the carbon dioxide emission were counted. We hope that this exercise serves as a subsidy for teachers' and students´ formation as well for understanding the complexity of the public transportation problem, considering that from the point of view of energy consumption as well from the necessary effective actions for implementation of behaviors to the rational use of energy.