The concept of sustainable transportation systems and technologies involves a multitude of ways which humans create and use our transportation systems world-wide. Air, land and water transportation systems and vehicles are vastly used in the billions globally. Sustainability means creating in ways that is responsible, ethical and harmonious with life, natural systems and resources. Creating sustainable transportation systems and vehicles means factoring in the view of being conscious stewards of the planet in that way that we live. Ethical transportation design concepts, technologies and functions in; energy and fuel source technologies, environmental and life-form impacts, material sources and cycles, and social benefits, safety and support describe sustainability.

Air transportation is the fastest way to travel over long distances and world-wide. Airplane transportation passengers reached over 4 billion world-wide in 2017 and is growing annually. The expected traffic for air transportation is estimated to double in the next 20 years. Most of the vehicles used publicly are passenger airplanes, followed by cargo planes and helicopters. Helicopters are used for a variety of special applications though are not a normal means of public aerial transportation with estimation of less than 20,000 used world-wide in the public domain. Fossil fuel sources are the most common for powering airplanes and helicopters which include; jet fuel, aviation gas and diesel. These fuels emit environmental pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx). In 2015, air transportation produced 781 million tons of CO2. Air transportation vehicles contribute to 2% of CO2 human created emissions. There are new technology designs for engines and clean renewable energy sources for airplanes such as electric engines using batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and liquid hydrogen. These technologies are in early development, not yet in full production or large scale use. The development and use of clean energy fuel sources to power helicopters is minimal currently and limited by the weight to power needed for lift ratio. The current technology with electric batteries has enabled a 22 minute flight for a standard sized transport helicopter. There is also some development in hydrogen-peroxide and alcohol based jet fuel that emits only water vapor for transport helicopters.

Land transportation vehicles are the most abundant, diverse and commonly used on the planet. The main types of land transportation vehicles are; cars and trucks, trains and trams, buses and shuttles, transfer and semi trucks, motorcycles and mopeds, and bicycles and scooters. There are well over 1 billion vehicles on roads world-wide today with an expected 2 billion by 2035. The most common fuels for these vehicles is currently fossil fuels in the form of gasoline and diesel. These fuels emit pollutants such as carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Land transportation vehicles contribute to 17% of human created CO2 emissions. There has recently been vast development and application of technologies to power land vehicles with cleaner fuels and renewable energy sources. Hybrid gas and electric vehicles are produced now by most of the automotive manufacturers world-wide. Electric motors powered by batteries and hydrogen fuels cells are being developed and used more. Most land vehicles and transportation routes are designed for larger vehicles and long to moderate distance travel. I more urban and higher population density areas, public transport vehicles such as trams and buses and private vehicles such as mopeds, scooters and bicycles are a more viable option. Many cities and urban areas are building more transportation infrastructure for these vehicles. Some cities in Europe, India and Asia use mostly moped and bicycles for local vehicle transportation.

We use many varieties of water transportation vehicles for ocean, sea and inland bodies of water and water ways. The main types of water transportation vehicles used are; freight and cargo ships, fishing and sporting boats, ferry boats and yachts, and ocean liners and cruise ships. There are roughly 50,000 ocean and sea vessels that use fossil fuels such as gasoline, diesel and bunker fuel which contribute to environmental pollution. The pollutant emissions include carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur oxides (SOx). These pollutants are known to cause asthma, lung cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown there are around 14 million ship-related childhood asthma cases annually. Ocean, sea and waterway transportation vehicles contribute to an estimated 2% of human created CO2 emissions. There are many technologies being developed for safer and clean energy sources to power these vessels. These new clean energy power technologies include; electric motors and batteries that can be charged with clean energy sources, hybrid diesel and electric battery, liquid hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cell and electric battery hybrids, solar, wind, wave and hydrogen from seawater.

William McDonough, who created the “Cradle to Cradle” concept wrote about an idea to utilize the United States Railway System as a solar powered electrical grid that could power the entire country with clean energy. This would utilize the 140,000 miles of track to run solar panels along side the train rails. This would be enough square footage of solar panel surface area to power the country. Electric battery station facilities would need to be used to store the solar energy for nigh time use. The energy would be routed along the railways to urban and rural energy utility grids already in operation to distribute the energy for commercial and residential needs. The solar energy grid could also power a new clean energy electric powered high speed train transportation system nationwide.