The Electric Car vs the Bicycle --and the winner is...

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

IEEE is running an article in the IEEE Spectrum Magazine titled "Unclean
at Any Speed".
It is a critique of the environmental impact of electric cars.
"London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, once breathlessly asserted that the all-
electric Tesla Roadster sports coupe produced “no more noxious vapors
than a dandelion in an alpine meadow.” But Ozzie Zehner, a former plug-in
advocate, advises would-be EV cheerleaders to look beyond the missing
tailpipe. Zehner had built a plug-in of his own, then later reached the
conclusion that electrifying cars just trades one set of environmental
problems for another. Author of the book Green Illusions, Zehner says EVs
get good press mainly because most electric-car assessments fail to
consider the environmental impacts over a vehicle’s entire life cycle,
from its construction through operation and on to its eventual retirement
at the junkyard."

It's Bush's idea to work on electric cars instead of more obvious choices. It must have been another money-dumping scheme of his.

The way to go --the simple way, the healthy way-- is to ride a bicycle. I may say the electric bicycle is the smart choice given the space to ride it far and wide.


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http://webspawner.com/users/BANANAREVOLUTION

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

"His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher"

IEEE is running an article in the IEEE Spectrum Magazine titled "Unclean
at Any Speed".
It is a critique of the environmental impact of electric cars.
"London�s mayor, Boris Johnson, once breathlessly asserted that the all-
electric Tesla Roadster sports coupe produced �no more noxious vapors
than a dandelion in an alpine meadow.� But Ozzie Zehner, a former plug-in
advocate, advises would-be EV cheerleaders to look beyond the missing
tailpipe. Zehner had built a plug-in of his own, then later reached the
conclusion that electrifying cars just trades one set of environmental
problems for another. Author of the book Green Illusions, Zehner says EVs
get good press mainly because most electric-car assessments fail to
consider the environmental impacts over a vehicle�s entire life cycle,
from its construction through operation and on to its eventual retirement
at the junkyard."

It's Bush's idea to work on electric cars instead of more obvious choices.
It must have been another money-dumping scheme of his.
The way to go --the simple way, the healthy way-- is to ride a bicycle. I
may say the electric bicycle is the smart choice given the space to ride it
far and wide.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I need three 16-foot boards to do repairs on my patio cover. Can you jump on
your bike and go to the store and bring them home for me? No?. Okay.
I have a crying baby and an empty 'fridge. Jump on your bike and go to the
store and gather up my grocery list -- I'll give you the money -- for me.
Thanks. Can't do that on a bike? Damn it.
Here's one you can do... I need you to go to the high school and pick up my
niece and her friend and bring them to my house. I appreciate it, a lot.
Wait, you can't fit two, or even one, passengers on your bike. Crap!
You can ride your bike for personal fun and pleasure, but to say it is a
suitable replacement for an automobile is stupid. Maybe YOU can sell your
car and spend your days riding a bike, but there are very few others that
can do this, and they probably already did it.
You see the world through your eyes, but you are blind to the realities that
the rest of us face. Nobody is demanding you buy a car, and you should stop
demanding the rest of us ride a bike.

The issue is the bicycle has no infrastructure of its own. You demand a road to drive and a sidewalk to walk, but where's the space for the bike? I don't ask for "bike lanes" anymore. It won't happen and when thy do happen they are not connected, or simply used for deliveries. I want a "whole traffic lane of my own" and you may keep the rest. Yes, sometimes you may need a vehicle, but most of the time you may get by with a bike --a cargo bike that is. And then you may even have your own trailer. Your family may have a nice outing as well, an adventure if you will. Coming out of cage should be an event by itself.

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

On Saturday, July 13, 2013 12:42:19 PM UTC-7, His Highness the Wise

I do already. Two miles each day with a stylish cart (I don't want to be confused with an old man) with computers and gear.

2 miles is about 40 minutes of walk. A young man like you should walk at least 5 miles a day.

Probably so but my destination ends there. I try to find a real life use for either walking or cycling. When it gets too long then riding a bicycle makes more sense, less boring. It's hot, very hot in Southern Florida, and most people say they wouldn't walk outside. Well, Miami is a ghost town in summer. Actually it's the same thing in beautiful cool winter days. ;)

It sounds like a picture of America. People stay in the cage and then drive a cage.

(NOTE: When you go walking with a cart to handle your cargo --groceries, computers or whatever-- you must make sure that you are not confused for a homeless)

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

IEEE is running an article in the IEEE Spectrum Magazine titled "Unclean
at Any Speed".
It is a critique of the environmental impact of electric cars.
"London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, once breathlessly asserted that the all-
electric Tesla Roadster sports coupe produced “no more noxious vapors
than a dandelion in an alpine meadow.” But Ozzie Zehner, a former plug-in
advocate, advises would-be EV cheerleaders to look beyond the missing
tailpipe. Zehner had built a plug-in of his own, then later reached the
conclusion that electrifying cars just trades one set of environmental
problems for another. Author of the book Green Illusions, Zehner says EVs
get good press mainly because most electric-car assessments fail to
consider the environmental impacts over a vehicle’s entire life cycle,
from its construction through operation and on to its eventual retirement
at the junkyard."

George W. Bush, Father of the Modern Electric Car

While we're basking in the short spring between presidential elections--sort of--it's time to acknowledge the debt owed by electric cars, not to today's crop of bureaucrats, but to the bête noire of progressives everywhere, President George W. Bush.

Some critics think the electric-car subsidies in place today belong to the current White House, but those line items actually are the product of Bush's second term, and they're the root of the real electric cars you can see, buy, drive and recharge today.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1060552_george-w-bush-father-of-the-modern-electric-car

***

I think GW Bush liked to bask in PR, whether it was the war or the electric car. Maybe some liberals like it for the same reason. I know it sounds confusing but everybody likes PR. Well, there's a few folks out there with big diesel truck that seem to be saying "I give a fuck about PR." And why wouldn't they. When you have power you don't worry about PR. They count on a system where the top predators are king, the king of the road that is.

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

Electric bicycles have their limitations.
If only a third party company could offer a brake system retrofit to
existing vehicles that stored kinetic energy when braking and released
it when accelerating from a stop within the next 15 min or so. No
expensive hybrid system, just a brake stop energy recovery system.
I find that when accelerating from a dead stop ( no matter how carefully
) my car uses the most fuel, after that the fuel usage is extremely low.
On 13/07/2013 10:51 AM, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble

Post by His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher

IEEE is running an article in the IEEE Spectrum Magazine titled "Unclean
at Any Speed".
It is a critique of the environmental impact of electric cars.
"London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, once breathlessly asserted that the all-
electric Tesla Roadster sports coupe produced “no more noxious vapors
than a dandelion in an alpine meadow.” But Ozzie Zehner, a former plug-in
advocate, advises would-be EV cheerleaders to look beyond the missing
tailpipe. Zehner had built a plug-in of his own, then later reached the
conclusion that electrifying cars just trades one set of environmental
problems for another. Author of the book Green Illusions, Zehner says EVs
get good press mainly because most electric-car assessments fail to
consider the environmental impacts over a vehicle’s entire life cycle,
from its construction through operation and on to its eventual retirement
at the junkyard."

It's Bush's idea to work on electric cars instead of more obvious choices. It must have been another money-dumping scheme of his.
The way to go --the simple way, the healthy way-- is to ride a bicycle. I may say the electric bicycle is the smart choice given the space to ride it far and wide.

There's something between the electric car and the electric bike called the NEV, or simply golf cart "plus"...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neighborhood_Electric_Vehicle

They have much lower mass and price than a regular car and meet safety standards (lights and so on). Many people who do business within their communities would find out that that's all they need. They are sold around here, but then regulated out of the main roads, so it's the same story as the bicycle. And they are nice and open, so there's no cage.

It would be just great to dedicate the right lane to slow vehicles (under 25mph) and bicycles. Can the car share the road in a meaningful way? I think so. We need speed cameras and a few taming strategies.

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

Electric bicycles have their limitations.
If only a third party company could offer a brake system retrofit to
existing vehicles that stored kinetic energy when braking and released
it when accelerating from a stop within the next 15 min or so. No
expensive hybrid system, just a brake stop energy recovery system.
I find that when accelerating from a dead stop ( no matter how carefully
) my car uses the most fuel, after that the fuel usage is extremely low.

One thing I found out while walking here is that many cars gun the engine (roaring like a lion) so anyone sharing the road with them on a bicycle would be utterly terrorized. It happened not once but twice, enough for the well dressed man walking next to me --a rare sight in itself-- to comment on this stupid/aggressive behavior. We started to talk and I gave him a flyer to take to Colombia...

Colombia has a pioneer on this field of taming traffic:

“I was almost impeached for getting cars off sidewalks which car owning upper classes had illegally appropriated for parking.”
– Enrique Peñalosa

http://www.pps.org/reference/epenalosa-2/

***

Well, here cars occupy the bike lanes and nobody cares. Sometimes they do occupy the sidewalk and nobody cares either. Pedestrians don't care. They are the like zombies...

[His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey, Most Humble Philosopher]

On Monday, July 8, 2013 6:32:08 PM UTC-7, His Highness the Wise TibetanMonkey,
blah blah blah...

You know, the idea of bear spray is great! You must be prepared for anything and everything in the jungle. Big bears, sneaky snakes and mosquitoes beware!

Yes you do have to be prepared for anything and everything.

I have another great idea (philosophers always got great ideas): I was just attacked by the evil viruses! But guess what, Windows 8 has a reset button...

I run Ubuntu Linux at home. What's a virus?

Good, I joined the revolution too, and it sounds quite revolutionary:

Ubuntu (is a Nguni Bantu term roughly translating to "human kindness"; in Southern Africa (South Africa and Zimbabwe), it has come to be used as a term for a kind of humanist philosophy, ethic or ideology, also known as Ubuntuism or Hunhuism (the latter after the corresponding Shona term) propagated in the Africanization (transition to majority rule) process of these countries during the 1980s and 1990s.

***

I was being attacked mercilessly on a Windows 7 machine by viruses and I did the switch, as simple as that. ;)

I defeated the forces of predatory capitalism for the time being. Of course, in the end capitalism will succeed in plundering the planet and driving the human species and many other species into extinction.