Background

We’d all like to reduce our impact on the planet. Yet no-one really wants to diminish their quality of life in the process. Many of us (including Barack Obama apparently) feel that technology ought to be able to reconcile these two seemingly opposed ideals. While there is huge investment in a wide range of sustainable energy sources, insulating our homes and the like, transport seems to be stuck with the one idea of “let's all change to electric cars”.

After a hundred plus years of the incremental adoption of mechanised transport into every aspect of our modern lives, surely it's time to stand back and ask “Could this be done better?”. We've made huge strides in the last thirty years in transporting goods across continents and data around the world. Today, I can choose the components I want in my new computer and have it assembled hundreds of miles away in a few hours from items that weren't even in the manufacturer's inventory when I ordered it.

In this chapter, we think about “transport” in the broadest sense - including the movement of both people and goods. The discussion goes as follows.

• I contend that we need to make a MAJOR change, and look at how best to apply the classic “three R's” of sustainability: Reducing the need for transport, “Reusing” transport and “Recycling” transport.
• When containerised shipping was introduced, it allowed industries to change the way they worked and where they were located by exploiting “Just in Time” delivery of materials to their premises. If only we could have Just in Time Delivery to our homes - how would that change the way we live?
• From these considerations, we assimilate a set of objectives for an integrated transport and delivery system which we refer to as “localnet”.
• Even ten years ago, we would have struggled to realise a system that met such ambitious goals. Now, however, we have an amazing set of existing building blocks from which we can cherry-pick almost all of the parts we need.
• If adopted, localnet will, over the next few decades, have an immense impact on existing businesses. We consider some of the issues associated with the “step” changes that such disruptive technology brings - and what we can learn from previous examples.