So, this is what I have titled a little research paper that I am writing regarding alternative fuels and alternative transportation.

As expected, I'll be hitting the cycling portion of this piece pretty hard. I'm just starting to brainstorm some ideas, so any input will be appreciated.

As you can probably guess from the title, I'll start with basic transportation, like walking, and give a brief history of every other form of transportation that I can think of, up to today's current hybrid and bio-fuel technologies, and give the environmental impact of each.

If anyone knows where I can find information about the efficiency of cycling and driving, please let me know.

Well. Someone can move this thread if it doesn't pertain here.

I love the title. Tell us how it all goes.

You may want to put the bunions through a spell checker.

You may want to read Bicycling Science (http://www.amazon.com/Bicycling-Science-David-Gordon-Wilson/dp/0262731541)for some info on the efficiency of cycling.

Yeah. I tried to respell the BUNIONS in this title, but it won't let me change it.
On the presentation, it's already fixed.

Thanks for the kink, Kansas

You might want to look into the efficiency of using corn ethanol as a fuel. It doesn't rate very well.

I don't have the stats handy but cycling is vastly more energy efficient than internal combustion, comparing energy expended per mile. Only walking really compares to it.

Here's a comparison:

http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/211.fall2000.web.projects/J%20Krizek/humanpower%20page%203.html

That really thows the difference in sharp relief. If you've done much swimming you know how INCREDIBLY difficult it can be to move very far through water, even if you're fit and in good training. A car with one rider is considerably LESS efficient than a crawl stroke. That also gives you an idea of how mega-packed oil is with raw energy, and how much of it we're wasting. It's like the ultimate bio battery with fuel stored from aeons. There's no easy way to replace that kind of resource. People would take it a lot more seriously if driving the car to work forced them to exert the same level of energy as doing a butterfly stroke for the same amount of time!

You might want to look into the efficiency of using corn ethanol as a fuel. It doesn't rate very well.

Yep, but there are better alternatives out there that you can mention in the paper.

With the advent of modern communications and the internet, I also wonder how much we actually *need* to travel.

With the advent of modern communications and the internet, I also wonder how much we actually *need* to travel.

That statement has me thinking. I'm almost 2,000 kilometres from the rest of my family. I stay connected by phone and electronically. But getting together physically takes a bit of effort and time. I wonder if we might eventually see families remaining closer together when the price of travel becomes prohibitive.

Yep, but there are better alternatives out there that you can mention in the paper.


I'm a pretty big proponent for electric vehicles. So that will get some attention.

I'm also planning on hitting veggie fueled diesels and hydrogen will get some attention.
What else is out there?

As I write more on the issue and get some more ideas, I'll run them by you guys.
Also, if anything comes to you, just post it.

It may end up giving me motivation to go in other directions.

...What else is out there?
Mass transit is good, but it has a last-mile problem at both ends. Rail transit that allows roll on / roll off of bikes is especially nice.

Folding bikes deserve a special mention. They solve some problems that would otherwise keep some people from using bikes as transportation.

I'm a pretty big proponent for electric vehicles. So that will get some attention.

I'm also planning on hitting veggie fueled diesels and hydrogen will get some attention.
What else is out there?

As I write more on the issue and get some more ideas, I'll run them by you guys.
Also, if anything comes to you, just post it.

It may end up giving me motivation to go in other directions.

Actually I meant better alternatives for bio fuel then corn, but anyway. If you do mention electric vehicles you need to mention from where they power that is used to charge them will come.

Mass transit is good, but it has a last-mile problem at both ends. Rail transit that allows roll on / roll off of bikes is especially nice.

Folding bikes deserve a special mention. They solve some problems that would otherwise keep some people from using bikes as transportation.


I was referring to fuels for automobiles, but this advice will certainly have a place.