Fill in the Blanks Fill in the Blanks: How Green is Online ShoppingOnline version Test your knowledge on the environmental impact of online shopping and delivery services in this engaging fill in the blanks game! by marco rabadan 1 'rebound anticipating contrast knock fleets effect on burden How green is online shopping Imagine this : Sara comes home from a long day at work , using her Friday evening to the fullest . She is a little frustrated because she needs a new cell phone cover as soon as possible ; she dropped her phone as she entered her flat and cracked the case . She sits in front of her computer and quickly searches online , finding the perfect new phone case . She orders it choosing priority shipping . Now that that final of the week is taken care of , she goes to meet friends for dinner and then go to the new Star Wars film at the cinema . She drives her car as always . On Monday , a delivery truck arrives at her door and drops off the small package . Her new phone case has arrived ! Researchers are concerned with the - of such situations . At first glance , one might think that online shopping keeps consumers home and in effect , off the roads . But when the of delivery trucks required to sustain this new method of shopping are considered , the statistical outcome is possibly quite different . Recent studies using simulation software and data from transportation authorities exploring the effects of delivery trucks on transportation networks have shown surprising findings . Home shopping has grown more slowly than anticipated , but traffic has gotten worse . Researchers have also warned authorities of a effect' , which occurs when gains in efficiency merely stimulate new consumption . The study , which was conducted at the Delaware Center for Transportation , stated , " We found that the total number of miles travelled hasn't decreased at all with the growth of online shopping . " Let's our initial scenario to explore how this could be : Sara drops her phone as she arrives home . She knows she is heading out to meet friends and then go to the movies , so she quickly changes her clothes and heads out 20 minutes early . She stops at the mall and picks up a new phone case , then continues on with her evening as planned . She has driven her car an extra five minutes to reach the mall . No delivery truck needs to be dispatched to make a trip to her flat on Monday . Granted a delivery truck may combine several stops into one trip , however , consider as well the parking implications . Sara parks at the mall in a proper parking spot , not blocking traffic in any way . But her flat is on a busy downtown street . The truck is trying to make its deliveries on a time crunch . The driver doesn't have the patience or the circumstance to search for appropriate parking ? they double park blocking traffic for maybe five minutes as they run the package into the building and search for the correct apartment , making sure their delivery reaches Sara's hands . Travel time for the people blocked behind the vehicle increases . Traffic delays increase . Therefore , vehicle emissions increase as well . Another suggestion of the study was that when people save time shopping online , they simply use that time for other social activities , hence still using personal vehicles to the same degree as prior to changes in their shopping habits . Some cities are implementing new regulations to counteract the complications associated with the increasing number of deliveries . Many cities in Europe and Asia have restricted deliveries during rush hours . London is looking at using buses for parcel deliveries . Even food delivery companies in one London district must now apply for authorization to operate . Apparently , as with most changes to our conventions in society , attention still needs to be given and adjustments made for online shopping to be considered 'green' . Let's check what you can remember !
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