Cycling Mob Cycling Forums - View Single Post - "Humans 'very likely' making earth warmer" is wrong

02-02-2007, 01:34 PM

John Thompson wrote:

>
> As a bicycle commuter myself, I can commiserate with you. Automobiles in
> general are a very energy-inefficient means of transporting people and
> public transportation should be encouraged as a way (not the only way!)
> to reduce overall energy consumption. A huge amount of resources are
> dedicated to providing infrastructure to an automobile society. If we
> can reduce dependence on automobiles not only will it become easier for
> pedestrians and bicyclists, but money can be freed for other worthwhile
> projects to make our urban areas safer for everybody.
>

Public transportation generally requires approximately the same BTUs per
passenger mile, about 3500, as do private motor vehicles on average.
Short haul public transportation is also a bigger competitor to walking
and biycling than it is to automobiles. That is, short haul public
transportation reduces bicycling and walking to a greater extent than it
does car use, turning low energy users into chauffered big energy users.
If short haul public transportation didn't exist, how would those users
get around? They'd walk, bike, drive alone, or carpool.

Further, bus public transit is heavy and destroys the pavement,
something that is very important to bicyclists. And when the bus pulls
over to the curb, there is conflict with bicyclists.

Frankly, public transportation and bicycling have nothing in common.
Bicycling has much more in common with automobile travel.

http://www.bts.gov/publications/nati...atistics/2004/
html/table_04_20.html

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehicles...t_fotw221.html

Wayne

02-02-2007, 01:34 PM	#42 (permalink)
Wayne Pein Posts: n/a	Re: "Humans 'very likely' making earth warmer" is wrong John Thompson wrote: > > As a bicycle commuter myself, I can commiserate with you. Automobiles in > general are a very energy-inefficient means of transporting people and > public transportation should be encouraged as a way (not the only way!) > to reduce overall energy consumption. A huge amount of resources are > dedicated to providing infrastructure to an automobile society. If we > can reduce dependence on automobiles not only will it become easier for > pedestrians and bicyclists, but money can be freed for other worthwhile > projects to make our urban areas safer for everybody. > Public transportation generally requires approximately the same BTUs per passenger mile, about 3500, as do private motor vehicles on average. Short haul public transportation is also a bigger competitor to walking and biycling than it is to automobiles. That is, short haul public transportation reduces bicycling and walking to a greater extent than it does car use, turning low energy users into chauffered big energy users. If short haul public transportation didn't exist, how would those users get around? They'd walk, bike, drive alone, or carpool. Further, bus public transit is heavy and destroys the pavement, something that is very important to bicyclists. And when the bus pulls over to the curb, there is conflict with bicyclists. Frankly, public transportation and bicycling have nothing in common. Bicycling has much more in common with automobile travel. http://www.bts.gov/publications/nati...atistics/2004/ html/table_04_20.html http://www1.eere.energy.gov/vehicles...t_fotw221.html Wayne