of pollutants and gasses that enter the earth’s atmosphere and contribute to global warming, depletion of natural resources, climate change, health issues, food and water contamination, and others. Much of the world’s population lives to boost economies by continuous spending and over consumption of anything and everything, where those monies could be used to aid others who suffer in poverty and of malnourishment.

An effort needs to be taken by all nations to reduce the drastic effects that the human population has on the biotic community. The current world population is rising over 6.5 billion daily. The US is expected to at least double its current population of around 300 million to an upward projection of 600 million to 1.2 billion in the next 100 years.(1) The carrying capacity of the Earth is at its breaking point.(2) Taking Buckminster Fuller’s philosophy and ideology, based on maximum change with minimum resources, a system can be developed to produce a reduced effect of human interference in the biotic community. The United States will serve as the prototype for introducing the design science solution around the world. This will allow for multiple resources to be used in influencing other countries for future world wide implementation.

The proposed new system will use transportation of people as its foundation. Treating the transport of people as cargo or redefining the neo-hobo, an intermodal transportation system will keep density in urban areas rather than creating urban sprawl and deterioration of the Earth’s landscape. The lack of effective, available, and functional public transportation contributes to urban sprawl. Reallocating the surplus of cargo containers used in oversea and transcontinental shipping, to hold people, will create a new form of transportation using existing materials. Using existing railways and trains already carrying cargo across the country, the refitted cargo containers will be as transferable as the existing cargo containers from existing transfer points. This system will allow the traveler to stay in one from of transport from point A to point B. This system has the ability to tie into public transportation.

The US, like many countries, relies on automobiles and planes for main means of transportation. The individuality that is promoted with an automobile creates enormous amounts of pollution, as well as over consumption in material goods. Raw materials and fuel that go into the 17 million cars produced world wide annually contribute greatly to consumption and depletion of natural resources and increasing pollution rates. The US transportation system contributes to one fifteenth of all greenhouse gasses produced by humanity, including the consumption of 9 million barrels of oil each day for gasoline.(3) In the last decade consumption has increased by 2.7 million barrels, more than the daily consumption of India and Pakistan combined.(4) India and Pakistan have a combined population of over 1.33 billion people, more than four times the amount of the US.(5)

With advancements in renewable fuels such as electricity, solar, wind, and hydrogen, locomotives are being transformed into highly effective modes of transportation. As time goes on, this system will able to develop into a fully functioning passenger rail system, similar to the current convenience and functionality of European Railways. With the European Union being half the size of the US, it has twice the amount of railways that function for both cargo and passenger rail.(6) The current population of Europe is coming to a standstill and is expected to decline over the next 25 years.(7)

The intermodal system of people as cargo will develop on existing railways and use existing cargo containers. Development of interiors relate to functionality for the traveler, whether it be family, business, independent, or commuter. (See images 2 and 3 for possible solutions.) Unlike an airplane with an onboard flight attendant, vending stations for necessary items would be provided. Like existing airplanes and train, each compartment will have a water closet. This water closet will have limited access to potable water, allowing for water from the sink being used to flush toilets. Each container will hold its own water and energy sources, stressing the importance of renewable technologies. Containers would be fitted with airplane like seats for comfort and stability for a new type of traveling motion. Station points will need to be developed to mass market the availability of simple travel. The introduction of this ‘intermodal’ system allows connections between cities and will add to the current effective public transportation of major cities. Urban and rural transfer points will be designed to facilitate optimum efficiency. (See images 4-6 for sketch solutions.)

The interstate systems in the US were developed by the government based on automobile manufacturer’s lobbying and military need for national defense, allowing for accessible transportation across the country.(8) The automobile was first marketed for every family and now for every person. As the population grows and each person buys a new car and the $94 barrel oil to fuel the car, and companies develop spaces to house the cars and destinations for those cars to go, to buy cars, the world will become a giant parking lot. The question is how? The solution is to stop the global parking lot from taking place and enforce a new system of transportation. Existing ideas from the Smart Code, 2005, explain the idea of allocating government resources for further implementation of sustainable systems, such as train traffic. The current financing for roadway and highway construction will be reallocated for production and operation of a new intermodal train system.

With reallocated government funds for future expansion of the system, private rail companies will activate and establish the proposed system. Economic viability is dependent on cooperation from all public and private sectors. The success of highly effective train transport systems is crucial to the well being of humanity and its environment. Amtrak, the existing national rail service for the US, has access to a limited number of tracks and works around the cargo network. (See Image 1)

In all major efforts to change the world, one has to go through the government or ruling power, be it through revolution or constitution. By cooperation or coercion, the stress of human influence on nature, needs to be acknowledged. Each member of the biotic community plays a role in its success. To successfully implement travel by existing means of cargo containers and national rail system, each member is necessary. Architects, engineers, and planners will have the ability to design a plausible system. Ecologists will determine the environmental ethics of humanity and nature related to the solution for the ability to promote to the masses.

This proposed solution of an intermodal system of people as cargo, is a simple design science solution to contain effects of humanity’s irresponsible influence on the Earth. Simply by using materials and systems already in effect, small amounts of resources and energy can be applied to replicate this system worldwide in a relatively short time period. With public, private, and government support, involvement, and action the system is plausible. Achieving a state of harmony between nature and humanity is fundamental. Recognizing the problem and a possible solution is the first step to change.

(1) U.S. Bureau of the Census
(2) Ehrlich, Ehrlich, and Daily, (1995).
(3) Mazza Patrick, "Transportation and Global Warming Solutions," http://www.climatesolutions.org, (2004).
(4) Kirby Alex, "Energy: Meeting Soaring Demands," BBC News, (2004).
(5) United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division, (2006).
(6) CIA World Factbook
(7) Eurostat
(8) Petroski, Henry, "On the Road", American Scientist, (2006).