Re: If, if, and more if's....
It's also legislative because we could take it a step further and use ships where possible. The problem in the US is the Jones Act which keeps foreign merchant1 vessels, container ships in particular, from stopping in more than one US port. That means all goods destined for the US must be disgorged in one place rather than hitting several ports before the ship heads back across the seas.
Ideally, ships would handle all coastal movement, trains carry it inward and trucks only make up the short haul local moving. There wouldn't be anywhere near as many trucks on the road which would help both traffic and smog as well as probably save a whole bunch of money. Pity it will never happen because we have to protect the jobs of truck drivers, ship builders, and merchant marines.
1 - It's the Passenger Vessel Services Act for cruise ships.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
