NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk Southern’s new online carbon footprint analyzer puts the environmental benefits of rail transportation into an easy-to-visualize perspective.
The “Green Machine” quickly estimates the reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that occur when rail transportation becomes a larger component in shipper supply chains.
The Green Machine can be accessed through Norfolk Southern’s environmental Web site at www.nscorp.com/future and through its accessNS e-commerce portal at www.nscorp.com. The calculator prompts the user to enter shipment volumes, along with network or lane information. Using graphic slides, the user then can gauge the emission reductions that occur as rail becomes a larger and larger part of freight movements.
Carbon emission reductions are converted into familiar terms by showing how many automobiles would have to be taken off congested highways, and how many trees would need to be planted, in order to achieve the air quality improvements equivalent to those offered by the greater use of rail transportation.
“The choice of transportation mode is one of the most powerful levers any shipper has to help moderate the size of its carbon footprint,” said Blair Wimbush, Norfolk Southern vice president real estate and corporate sustainability officer. “We will continue to get greener at what we do, and that will help make rail the transportation choice for the 21st century.”
The Green Machine was developed in-house and is a component of Norfolk Southern’s broad-based sustainability initiative that includes developing public-private partnerships to improve use of the nation’s rail transportation network while supporting the economy; focusing on safety to benefit employees and communities; minimizing use of natural resources; and reducing, reusing and finding alternatives for commonly-used railroad materials.
— PRNewswire-FirstCall
