Lowering carbon footprint

[rain dogs]

Originally Posted by .RJ

honest question, even if i am stirring the pot here - how is buying a new bicycle, with batteries and motor, beneficial for my 'carbon footprint' compared to using the car that I already own?

sometimes I wonder if we (collectively) spend lots of money on things (bikes, new cars, new appliances, etc, etc) to feel like we're helping the environment.

Originally Posted by .RJ

Thats a lot of 5 mile trips to take to postpone/offset a new car purchase.

I wonder about this stuff since we fret about own impact in my house. Living in an area where I dont need to use the car for everything, having 1 car, not commuting, avoiding things like single use plastic or paper (and recycling or reusing where I cant), composting, repairing stuff instead of replacing it, environmentally friendly cleaning stuff... does it matter or add up? I dont know....

You know the answers to this, and you know you (and how much usage you'd be comparing against). And if not, there are plenty of calculators online.

But in general, it's a transition tool. Sure, perhaps buying new things constantly isn't helping (but I don't see many people NOT buying new things "green" or otherwise), but if it's a straight up choice between new petroleum fueled car and electric bike, the comparison isn't close.

You could buy the most ecological car made today - park it and never drive it - and it'll have a larger LCA/carbon footprint than tens of thousands of miles by electric bike. The production of a car = about 42g of carbon/Km (160,000km life) or about 6700kg of CO2. A bike is about 5g/km (19,000km) or about 95kg of CO2. Emissions by type are for Gas (from the US department of energy) 11,435lbs/yr vs electric 3774lbs/yr for a car.... sorry about the units distinction.

An electric bike uses about 9g of Co2/km in electricity (although I've found figures as low as 1,5g/km), that a regular pedal bike doesn't. But that's about 730,000km of riding an ebike to equal the emissions of *just* producing a car based on 9g.

[Johnnysmooth]

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

This is a perfect use case for an ebike.

Question: What about security? What is your strategy for parking it when running errands or commuting to work or whatever. Generally POS thieves will steal anything not locked down.

It does have a built-in ABUS rear wheel lock. Both wheels are thru axel so no quick release. Also using a small chain lock so someone can't just pick it up and walk away. It is not a light bike at some 40lbs and battery is locked in place.

[jamesdak]

But why an E bike that comes with it's own hazards?

I bought this for the same kind of purposes. What's wrong with pedaling instead of using a battery and consuming electricity?



Of course my decision had nothing to do with "lowering" my carbon footprint. Just convenience and my health.

[Johnnysmooth]

Originally Posted by benb

the payoff happens faster than expected even if you replace the existing car with an ev.

The emissions savings takes a little while to offset the construction of the new vehicle. The math for that works out differently depending on what the existing car is and what the new ev is. There's a larger emissions cost to producing an ev today compared to an ice, but over their lifetimes the ev is still a big reduction.

But in the case of a ebike replacing car trips the emissions cost of producing the new ebike is tiny compared to a car, the payoff should be very fast.

It makes a ton of sense to use these ebikes instead of an ice car to put off replacing the ice car with an ev. Both financially and emissions wise.

bingo!

[texbike]

I'm lowering my carbon footprint by only riding steel and titanium!

Texbike

[OldCrank]

<<< No one is forcing you to eat Brazilian mangoes or California avocados. >>>

Hey YEAH!
Nothing but New Hampshire avocados on my toast from now on.
And Connecticut almonds at the farmers market!

Oooh right, I shop at a lower cost market.

[redir]

The OP did more for the environment then most by adopting two kids but that's always the HUGE elephant in the room when you talk about 'saving the planet.'

I'm still going to pedal them for as long as I can but one day I will probably get an eBike for the grocery runs.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by thew

I have a few co-workers who bought e-bikes in order to avoid buying an additional car in a multi-driver households. In this case the benefit (financial and environmental) is huge.

Or, dont buy the 2nd or 3rd or whatever car? I get in a bind a few times a year and we ask a friend for a ride or take an uber.

Most of the people I know with e-bikes didnt replace or sell a car because of that purchase.

Originally Posted by rain dogs

but if it's a straight up choice between new petroleum fueled car and electric bike, the comparison isn't close

Sure, if thats the options then its an easy choice. But I'm not sure those are the only two options or if thats just the story people tell themselves because they want the e-bike.

[jkbrwn]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

A handful of corporations are responsible for the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gas emissions and are actively invested into shifting blame onto the average citizen. Enough hand wringing and tsk-tsking other people over their well intentioned personal choices.

Facts.

[Dude]

I'm just here because I have a Tern GSD and freaking love it. Cheers on the new bike and enjoy the hell out of it.

[tctyres]

Originally Posted by Johnnysmooth

This past weekend, after much research, my wife and I purchased an bike - specifically the Tern HSD9.
Why this bike?
....

Originally Posted by Dude

I'm just here because I have a Tern GSD and freaking love it. Cheers on the new bike and enjoy the hell out of it.

This is cool. Thanks for posting. How did you guys figure out the battery sizing for your needs?

[Jaybee]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

A handful of corporations are responsible for the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gas emissions and are actively invested into shifting blame onto the average citizen. Enough hand wringing and tsk-tsking other people over their well intentioned personal choices.

One more time for the people in the back.

[benb]

Bill Gates recent book is a really good read about emissions.

Cars are not as significant as you think.

There are some other items which you wouldn't expect which are REALLY bad.

Concrete/Cement production, VERY bad. Think about all the concrete used in building in places which are expanding very fast. The issue here is there's a chemical reaction which releases CO2 combined with the energy required to do the actual work. Lots of places sneer at our stick built houses we make in the US.. as long as we live in them a long time they're not so bad. The lumber is renewable and sequesters carbon, unlike making a house out of concrete.

Steel production is VERY bad. Very high energy input to heat everything combined with, wait for it, a chemical reaction which produces CO2.

There's a bunch of things other than vehicles which could make a huge difference. People are working on them but they are hard problems.

But in any case everyone can also help by not buying a new ICE car every 3 years to keep up with the Joneses and show off. Driving one car for 10+ years can sure free up a lot of bike $$,$$$.

[cgolvin]

Originally Posted by jtbadge

A handful of corporations are responsible for the overwhelming majority of greenhouse gas emissions and are actively invested into shifting blame onto the average citizen. Enough hand wringing and tsk-tsking other people over their well intentioned personal choices.

I agree with both sentences, however the first sentence and the phrase "well-intentioned" in the second, which some people use to demean (not attributing this intent to @jtbadge), gives me pause. Some might read this as absolving individuals of responsibility and agency, i.e., "what I as an individual do matters not since my actions are trivial in contrast to the large actors." Both collective individual action and holding corporations responsible are necessary, IMO.

[jamesdak]

Originally Posted by benb

Bill Gates recent book is a really good read about emissions.

Cars are not as significant as you think.

There are some other items which you wouldn't expect which are REALLY bad.

Concrete/Cement production, VERY bad. Think about all the concrete used in building in places which are expanding very fast. The issue here is there's a chemical reaction which releases CO2 combined with the energy required to do the actual work. Lots of places sneer at our stick built houses we make in the US.. as long as we live in them a long time they're not so bad. The lumber is renewable and sequesters carbon, unlike making a house out of concrete.

Steel production is VERY bad. Very high energy input to heat everything combined with, wait for it, a chemical reaction which produces CO2.

There's a bunch of things other than vehicles which could make a huge difference. People are working on them but they are hard problems.

But in any case everyone can also help by not buying a new ICE car every 3 years to keep up with the Joneses and show off. Driving one car for 10+ years can sure free up a lot of bike $$,$$$.

Dang it...... I love steel bikes and I'm about to trade the Bimmer in on a new car. Well....at least mine's vintage steel so it's not that bad I guess.