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Instead of heat dissipating dynamic braking...

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In the piece linked by Paul North at the top of this page about recovering dynamic brake energy, it mentioned that such recovery might be cost effective if you factor in the reduction in environmental costs.  Linked below is a comprehensive paper dealing with the environmental costs of rail transport in the UK.  I assume that the “environmental costs” mentioned in the dynamic brake article are the same type of environmental costs that are described in great detail in the paper linked below.  Perhaps it is just confined to the E.U., but if so, I wonder if it will come to the U.S.  There does seem to be a strong sentiment that we should be more like Europe.     <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> I get the impression that this identifying and placing a dollar cost on environmental impact is cutting edge stuff, but I am not exactly sure what it is the cutting edge of.  It reminds me of my phone bill that tells me what to pay and all the reasons why.  It is easy to understand the former, but impossible to understand the latter.   <o:p></o:p> The profoundly complex analysis that is going into calculating environmental costs seem like they will show up as gibberish on a bill with the dollar amount clearly shown.  Take a look, for example, at the environmental cost of railroad noise and vibration as it is quantified in the bewildering analysis starting on page 21.  I would sure hate to have to prove that the noise bill was incorrect.   <o:p></o:p> Page 51 begins a discussion about the possible means of charging for environmental costs.  The following is a quote from the discussion on page 51:    <o:p></o:p>   “In terms of industry and wider social acceptability, the introduction of these charges will need careful handling.  Whatever the mechanism, such a charge is likely to be seen as a tax.”     <o:p></o:p>   <A href="http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/aea_enviro_rep.pdf" mce_href="http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/aea_enviro_rep.pdf">http://www.rail-reg.gov.uk/upload/pdf/aea_enviro_rep.pdf</A> <o:p></o:p> If this type of environmental tax were to come to the U.S. in order force railroads to pay for their environmental damage, we could be in for big changes.  Investment in new technology to save fuel and reduce noise would suddenly be cost effective as a way to offset the new taxes.  Recovering dynamic brake energy might be just one of a host of related new ideas that will come to fruition.  The bottom line will be a more environmentally friendly rail transport, albeit at higher cost to shippers.
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