RAIL - The Real Carbon Trading

[mch]

There is a lot of talk about Carbon trading. As I understand it we trade current gas emissions by investing in projects that will reduce emissions in other places for the future.  We don't reduce the emissions now.  Carbon trading would be like building more rail and running more services to get individuals out of cars.  TTA (Queensland) themselves advertise that for every 1,000 people who use public transport, 800 cars are off the road (Only 1.25 people per car).  2 extra peak hour trains that are well planned, advertised and run could make this difference:

1400 people 1140 less cars (700 people per train)
1300 people 1040 less cars (650 people per train)
1200 people  960 less cars (600 people per train)
If we put ONE extra service on each of the 6 lines, at even 600 per train 3600 people that would be 2880 cars.
Do we get a grant to implement this?  I have seen the Federal Government spend money on less promising options.

See this site: http://www.travelsmart.gov.au/about.html
The infrastructure barrier
"Increasingly, the day-to-day operations of Australian urban road systems are becoming a concern to city administrators and residents. Their concerns relate to many different issues: traffic cutting through neighborhood roads, congestion and delays on local roads, main roads and motorways, and poor air quality because of vehicle exhausts.

Underlying this problem is that many of our communities have experienced tremendous growth over the past several decades. Much of this growth has occurred in suburban areas where alternatives to the car are not well established, causing a corresponding increase in the number of vehicles using the roads."

See this site:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/global-warming/car-makers-face-mandatory-exhaust-limits-20090628-d1ba.html
Figures from the Chamber of Automotive Industries show the average passenger and light commercial vehicle sold in Australia last year emitted 222.4 grams of carbon dioxide for every kilometre driven. 
(For an average of 20km per passenger that would be for my example 20KM * 2880 Cars * 222.4 grams * 2 (trip in and out) or 25,620,480 grams or 25,620 Kg or over 25 tonnes per day just in SEQ. 
Balance against the trains production allow it to be only twice as efficient and we still save 12 tonnes

Do we really want to do something about global warming or do we want to feel warm and fuzzy by talking about it.

Add Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth and then just imagine if 10% of the freight now carried by road was also included.
Have we met our targets yet.