Living Car Free - Cutting Energy Use

Over on the oildrum a discussion on cutting energy use for commuting drifted over to bike transportation with some of the same "bikes can't carry loads" type comments.

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/4599#more

At least they are getting away from the car culture by other means discussions.

great !

I'm using the bike for at least 90% of my intown travel. And bus or walking for the other 10%. I don't see how I can get much more efficient personally.

My big downfall is that I take a bus on a 400 mile round trip every month. The most efficient bus I ride gets 11 mpg of ultra diesel fuel. There are 10 to 30 passenges, typically.

What we really need is to invest in overhead wires for transit. These power trains in many areas, and used to power buses (called streetcars or trolleys) in almost every city in the world. The reason to go this way is that it's likely that we'll develop alternative electricity before we develop alternative liquid fuels.

Buses and trains are a false solution to energy and transit issues, as long as they're powered by liquid fuel.

I like to see this sort of discussion. I think we would see more of it if the "idea" people -- like Al Gore and Amory Lovins and maybe even Barck Obama -- would start promoting the notion that you can use the bicycle to move yourself and as much produce as you need to eat...

Evening some popular "green" blogs I read seem to be focused on interim transportation solutions like hybrid cars. Unfortunately, this sets up a notion within the society that says , "hey... I'll buy a hybrid... that should handle down-sizing for me."

But as everyone shoud know, a mass move from gasoline-powered engines to hybrids isn't going to do much for either the environment or the gasoline shortage when you consider the energy required to manufacture a hybrid.

Can't we get any mainstream thinker (like those on the NY Times Green inc. blogs... as a starter) to start talking about the efficiency and benefits of the bicycle?

Can't we get any mainstream thinker (like those on the NY Times Green inc. blogs... as a starter) to start talking about the efficiency and benefits of the bicycle?

Possibly we could. Anybody have ideas how to do this?

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/

Buses and trains are a false solution to energy and transit issues, as long as they're powered by liquid fuel.
I'd refer to buses and trains as an incomplete solution. On a per passenger basis, the bus which gets 11 miles to the gallon and carries 10 to 30 passengers is much more fuel efficient than the car which gets 30 miles to the gallon but only carries one or two passengers. A well-built bus can also last far longer than a car, resulting in further energy savings.

We will eventually need to switch to other energy sources, but as mass transportation, using conventional fuels, is a simple way to drastically cut down on fuel costs.

I'd refer to buses and trains as an incomplete solution. On a per passenger basis, the bus which gets 11 miles to the gallon and carries 10 to 30 passengers is much more fuel efficient than the car which gets 30 miles to the gallon but only carries one or two passengers. A well-built bus can also last far longer than a car, resulting in further energy savings.

We will eventually need to switch to other energy sources, but as mass transportation, using conventional fuels, is a simple way to drastically cut down on fuel costs.

Due mainly to routing and scheduling inefficiencies, mass transit is certainly not the "final solution." It's at best an intermediate solution, but even then only if we put the wires back overhead and generate cleaner electricity for them. The real solution is to make most trips human-powered.

Possibly we could. Anybody have ideas how to do this?

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/

http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/

Green Inc is both a blessing and curse. They did do a little blog by James Kantner, a journalist who uses a folder to get to work in Brussels. Nice article (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/biking-on-a-brompton-one-reporters-view/)

However, I am certain the content will be driven by its readership. The blog does seem a little bit driven by the comments they get. One afternoon I read through the 4 blog entries and their gazillion comments on owning a Prius (I reckon the Prius is destined to become the next Hummer; those owners are so damned smug...)

Maybe I need to start hanging around over there posting some bicycle-centric comments. Several cyclists have already done that and their presence offers some needed balance particularly among all the icky Prius posts.

Anyway, maybe I'll give that a try... anyone else want to join me over there?

Green Inc is both a blessing and curse. They did do a little blog by James Kantner, a journalist who uses a folder to get to work in Brussels. Nice article (http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/biking-on-a-brompton-one-reporters-view/)

However, I am certain the content will be driven by its readership. The blog does seem a little bit driven by the comments they get. One afternoon I read through the 4 blog entries and their gazillion comments on owning a Prius (I reckon the Prius is destined to become the next Hummer; those owners are so damned smug...)

Maybe I need to start hanging around over there posting some bicycle-centric comments. Several cyclists have already done that and their presence offers some needed balance particularly among all the icky Prius posts.

Anyway, maybe I'll give that a try... anyone else want to join me over there?

So far I don't care much for Green Inc. but I'll give it more of a chance.

I love Dot Earth. :love:
But I've never seen Andy Revkin do much on bikes. If I see a chance to comment on that I will.

So far I don't care much for Green Inc. but I'll give it more of a chance.

I love Dot Earth. :love:
But I've never seen Andy Revkin do much on bikes. If I see a chance to comment on that I will.

I did find this interesting piece (http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/meet-the-neighbors-laurie-dougherty/) on Dot Earth about a carfree cyclist in Boston. There's a slide show about a ride for Bikes Not Bombs, and a show in a corridor park that lies alongside the Northeast RR Tracks and also the Boston subway.

So far I don't care much for Green Inc. but I'll give it more of a chance.

I love Dot Earth. :love:
But I've never seen Andy Revkin do much on bikes. If I see a chance to comment on that I will.
Green Inc blogs often seem like rehashed press releases. They just had one on hybrid yachts. Total BS! However, I'm putting it all down to "getting started".

Dot Earth is pretty sweet. It's a great spot for finding good links to other great sites. However, it's like they have yet to discover bicycles... what gives?

One thing that strikes me is that the tone of the blog will be partly driven by the comments they get from the readership. If everyone want to talk about hybrid cars, you'll never hear a mention about Treks.

Due mainly to routing and scheduling inefficiencies, mass transit is certainly not the "final solution." It's at best an intermediate solution, but even then only if we put the wires back overhead and generate cleaner electricity for them. The real solution is to make most trips human-powered.

The distance of the trip makes a big difference in what's practical, as well as the remoteness of the destination. For compact urban cities mass transit is great. Seattle and Vancouver, BC both use a mix of electric and diesel buses. For long-distance travel electric trains are certainly possible, but require a substantial additional investment in infrastructure which, except in the northeast corridor, has never been made in the USA.

If we're only taking about reducing energy use for commuting, then living close to work and using your own muscles for the trip is definitely best. For many people that requires a huge change of attitude about where they live and work. I've never known anything else, as my grandparents, parents, in-laws, and I all walked or biked to work. I'm currently self-employed and work from home.