Posted on Sep 23, 2023
Barges are very efficient. Does that make them a good climate alternative for shipping?
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The Mississippi River is a transportation powerhouse — especially for agriculture.
Roughly 60% of the U.S. grain exports float down the river by barge, and plenty of soybeans are moved that way.
But barges can move a lot of other goods too.
“Rubber, scrap metal, resin for polymers like paints, varnishes glues,” said Paul Rohde, Midwest region vice president for the Waterways Council, an organization that advocates for barge transportation. “It’s all about capacity.”
It would take more than 1,000 semitrucks to carry the same load as 15 barges and a single tow boat, the standard for this part of the Mississippi River, he said.
That’s significant given that the transportation sector accounts for about 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But only about 2% of that sector is ships and boats, Rohde said.
“We’re a very small part of that carbon footprint the EPA is citing,” he said.
Reducing the emissions from the transportation sector is imperative to meet the country’s climate goals and one reason Rohde advocates for more things to be shipped on the country’s rivers, he said.
“Barges move products with a much lower carbon footprint than rail or certainly trucks,” Rohde said.
Roughly 60% of the U.S. grain exports float down the river by barge, and plenty of soybeans are moved that way.
But barges can move a lot of other goods too.
“Rubber, scrap metal, resin for polymers like paints, varnishes glues,” said Paul Rohde, Midwest region vice president for the Waterways Council, an organization that advocates for barge transportation. “It’s all about capacity.”
It would take more than 1,000 semitrucks to carry the same load as 15 barges and a single tow boat, the standard for this part of the Mississippi River, he said.
That’s significant given that the transportation sector accounts for about 28% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. But only about 2% of that sector is ships and boats, Rohde said.
“We’re a very small part of that carbon footprint the EPA is citing,” he said.
Reducing the emissions from the transportation sector is imperative to meet the country’s climate goals and one reason Rohde advocates for more things to be shipped on the country’s rivers, he said.
“Barges move products with a much lower carbon footprint than rail or certainly trucks,” Rohde said.
Barges are very efficient. Does that make them a good climate alternative for shipping?
Posted from stlpr.orgPosted in these groups: 
Shipping
Agriculture
Climate ChangeTexas A&M
Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
Shipping Agriculture Climate ChangeTexas A&M Southern Illinois University – Carbondale
Posted 8 mo ago
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
"Birds rest near the banks of the Mississippi River as a towboat pushing barges makes its way past the locks and dam in Alton. It's unclear what role barge transportation will play in a green energy movement.
The Biden administration is fighting climate change in part by pushing for cars and trucks to be more fuel efficient and reduce emissions, but so far, that talk hasn’t landed in another mode of transportation: barges.
In light of increased pressure to advance the cause of green energy, the future of the barge industry is unclear, and it could have a major impact on Midwestern rivers.
More than 100 million tons of cargo, including 65% of the corn exported from the U.S., travels via barge on the Mississippi River system each year. A lot of that comes through the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton.
The number of towboats, sometimes pushing more than a dozen floating containers, is consistent. Not even recent low crop prices and the pandemic slowed the traffic."...
"Birds rest near the banks of the Mississippi River as a towboat pushing barges makes its way past the locks and dam in Alton. It's unclear what role barge transportation will play in a green energy movement.
The Biden administration is fighting climate change in part by pushing for cars and trucks to be more fuel efficient and reduce emissions, but so far, that talk hasn’t landed in another mode of transportation: barges.
In light of increased pressure to advance the cause of green energy, the future of the barge industry is unclear, and it could have a major impact on Midwestern rivers.
More than 100 million tons of cargo, including 65% of the corn exported from the U.S., travels via barge on the Mississippi River system each year. A lot of that comes through the Melvin Price Locks and Dam in Alton.
The number of towboats, sometimes pushing more than a dozen floating containers, is consistent. Not even recent low crop prices and the pandemic slowed the traffic."...
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