Please discuss how supply and demand drive the transportation industry? In your opinion, how does the transportation industry affect the environment?
I believe supply and demand and the transportation industry are a direct correlation of each other as the supply or the demand of a product can result in which mode of transportation you choose . I can identify a book for a course that I know I have to take during the summer semesters and because I planned this out, I can order the required book and instead of paying additional fees for overnight, next day air, or the fastest traceable means, I can order it standard shipping and because there is no rush it would travel a completely different speed and mode of shipment. A item that has a great supply and is in great demand( a popular item on amazon) would most likely be stocked in several warehouses and wouldn’t require shipment from cross country or from another country via air or sea.
The transportation industry has a great affect on the environment as highway expansion calls for forests and tress to be cut down and cleared, when there was great railroad expansion there had to be land cleared and tress cut for the construction of the railroad and when they were steam and coal powered this took from the land as coal had to be mined to fuel the locomotives and resulted in air pollution and use of fossil fuels. The expansion of the highway and the more cars, box vans, and tractor trailers that were put on the road to keep up with the expansion and demand of consumers increase the use of gasoline and the amount of pollution as the number of vehicles on the road continue to rise.