By 2040, half of all cars will be hybrids or running on alternative fuels; energy demand will be flat for the developed world but will increase 60% for developing nations, and non-conventional oil sources will handily meet the demand of 110m barrels.
Notwithstanding the huge jump in marketshare by 2040, "90 percent of the world's transportation will still run on oil-based fuels", the Exxon Mobil report predicted. In fact, according to William Colton, Exxon's strategic planning chief, the hybrid vehicles will only maintain oil's dominance as a transportation fuel because "the cheapest hybrids will be those that also use gasoline."
Nonetheless, environmentalists were pleased with this aspect of Exxon-Mobil's energy prediction regarding the widespread adoption of hybrid vehicles.
Deron Lovaas, Federal Transportation Policy Director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "It's evidence that what the Obama administration is doing with fuel economy is working".
The report did stir some controversy within the fossil fuel industry as it predicted that natural gas, due to the boom in hydraulic fracturing, would replace coal as the second most widespread fuel behind oil - which was contested by the coal industry.
FULL STORY: Exxon Mobil predicts surge in hybrid vehicles
Hooked on Russian Gas
The EU relies on Russia for 45% of its natural gas imports and 27% of its crude oil imports. Germany's dependency is a major reason why it won't ban these imports despite Russia's war in Ukraine. Two natural gas pipelines explain part of the problem.
European Union Takes Initial Step to Ban Russian Energy Imports
After a second day of talks in Brussels, ambassadors to the European Union agreed to ban coal imports from Russia as evidence of widescale atrocities committed by Russian troops in Ukraine surfaced after their withdrawal from the outskirts of Kyiv.
What Grade Would You Give Obama's Climate Action Plan?
Two very different grades are assigned, one from David Hawkins, Director of Climate Programs at NRDC; the other from a college senior working on a fossil fuel divestment campaign. Michael Brune of the Sierra Club differs with Hawkins on natural gas.
Amtrak Ramping Up Infrastructure Projects
Thanks to federal funding from the 2021 infrastructure act, the agency plans to triple its investment in infrastructure improvements and new routes in the next two years.
Ending Downtown San Francisco’s ‘Doom Loop’
A new public space project offers an ambitious vision—so why is the city implementing it at such a small scale?
Proposal Would Transform L.A.’s ‘Freeway to Nowhere’ Into Park, Housing
A never-completed freeway segment could see new life as a mixed-use development with housing, commercial space, and one of the county’s largest parks.
Report: Bike Lanes Can't Make up for New Roads
If California wants to meet its climate goals, the state must stop funding its myriad road construction and expansion projects.
Minneapolis Affordable Housing Project Largest in 20 Years
The city opened its first large multifamily affordable housing complex in decades, but a recent court ruling against the Minneapolis 2040 rezoning plan could jeopardize future projects.
NYC Mayor Proposes Eliminating Parking Minimums
Mayor Adams wants to stop requiring off-site parking for new buildings to reduce the costs of construction as part of the ‘City of Yes’ package of zoning reforms.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
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City of San Carlos
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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
