Treat the Earth Well

[Chief eZee Power]

I am not starting a debate here on climate change, believe whatever you wish. I have personally witnessed a lot of man made diasastrous environmental damages. In the news now is this one by BP in the Gulf of Mexico spilling 5000 barrels, 210000 gallons or 795000 litre of crude everyday since April 20th, into the ocean, and the punishment cost may end in the billion dollar bracket. But guess who is going to pay for all these - the gasoline consumers, and eventually works it way to affect everyone one way or the other.

As I have said during a forum at the Tour de Prestigne 2 years back, I do what I could to reduce consumption, (consumption adds up to make environment impact ) and promote the same philosophy. eZee's tag line is "Treat the Earth Well" eZee sponsored environment activist Robert Zipplies,( author of Bending the Curve ) in a quest to do likewise and encourage people to sign a declaration to their part for mother earth.

Robert was given the same bike I did the Katima to Cape ride, and did another hard 3000 km on it for the "Climate Challenge".
Bending the Curve
Project 90x2030™

For those reading this forum looking for an electric bike, buying one is not the answer, using it is.

W W Ching
Chief eZee Operator

 

[lemmy]

For those reading this forum looking for an electric bike, buying one is not the answer, using it is.

So environmentally, you're saying best I nick one and use it then

 

[flecc]

For those reading this forum looking for an electric bike, buying one is not the answer, using it is.

Very true, many buy them as casual use toys but continue to drive cars most of the time.

We have quite a good record in this forum, many members have given up cars or motorbikes and now only have e-bikes. Some like me use their cars far less than their e-bikes.

From the very low use e-bikes we see on sale elsewhere though, the general picture is nowhere near as good.
.

 

[Mussels]

So environmentally, you're saying best I nick one and use it then

Or certainly don't buy a new one.

Oil spills interest me with the press coverage about the environmental impact, often the cleanup operation causes longer term damage to the environment than the oil spill would have if left alone. I guess an oil spill just isn't pretty enough for the weekend greens.

 

[Chief eZee Power]

Nicking

So environmentally, you're saying best I nick one and use it then

Oh, so funny. Many thanks for your twisted logic and your show of semantics. Obviously I don't encourage stealing if nicking means that. What I am implying is, a lot of people may buy the electric bike and keep them in the garage most of the time and occasional recreation use, instead of making more frequent use for normal commuting. I hope this is clear now.

W W Ching

 

[Patrick]

I think I'm doing more harm to the environment now that I'm e-biking. I used to go to work on a crowded (and so efficient) train, I doubt that the slight reduction in energy being used by the train now that it doesn't have to carry my weight is enough to offset the energy needed to manufacture and run my ebike.

 

[Ultra Motor]

I think I'm doing more harm to the environment now that I'm e-biking. I used to go to work on a crowded (and so efficient) train, I doubt that the slight reduction in energy being used by the train now that it doesn't have to carry my weight is enough to offset the energy needed to manufacture and run my ebike.

Patrick- how did you used to get to the train?

 

[Alex728]

Although my ebike is made by one of Ezees biggest competitors, owning it means I don't have (or need to own) a car or petrol powered motorbike / scooter... even if I did get one of these vehicles in the future I'd use it much less..

Had I not bought the ebike - I would have been tempted to buy instead a expensive tourer or road bike, which I expect uses just as much rare resources as the ebike!

plus I would have ridden it less if I was tired or the weather was bad (at least with ebikes you get out of the bad weather quicker!) and been more likely to use public transport (the buses here and their drivers/management are like something out of a rural version of the 1970s British comedy "on the buses")

If ebikes become more popular in hot countries like Malaysia and Singapore then surely they could be charged by solar power? That would surely be much better and safer than all those eratically ridden mopeds I saw last time I was in KL in the 90s!

 

[Patrick]

Patrick- how did you used to get to the train?

I walked to the station.

 

[enceladus]

"But guess who is going to pay for all these - the gasoline consumers, and eventually works it way to affect everyone one way or the other"

I dont think this is necessarily true in this case. BP will obivously be held to account for this disaster, but they will not be in a position to increase oil and gas prices to recoup losses as prices are set by OPEC and BP's competitors certainly aren't going to be agreeing to prop up BP by all increasing their prices. This just would not be acceptable.

Even if the costs run into billions, BP made about 10bn proift last year, nae bother for them to cover it.

 

[Ultra Motor]

I walked to the station.

I'm stumped then!

I suppose it just means you can use your bike at home for other activities outside of commuting. Whereas your train journey is just from home to work. You should be able to justify it that way

I always see these new industry openings as an 'investment'. Although this may not be 'carbon positive' compared to your train commute you are increasing awareness which could result in someone else replacing a car or m/cycle!

Keep the cycling up!

 

[kster68]

My cycle was garaged for 3 years practically unused...bought on a whim by a family member who liked the idea but wasn't too keen on the practice of electric cycling. Whilst my primary concerns involve cutting the costs and time of my daily bus ride to work, and travel around my local town seeing friends etcetera, if it helps out the environment then that can only be a good thing.

Although how many miles a cycle would have to achieve to reach some kind of 'carbon neutrality' I have no idea.

 

[Mussels]

I think I'm doing more harm to the environment now that I'm e-biking. I used to go to work on a crowded (and so efficient) train, I doubt that the slight reduction in energy being used by the train now that it doesn't have to carry my weight is enough to offset the energy needed to manufacture and run my ebike.

I'm the same and I stopped using the horrible, slow and crowded train but the way I see it is the space I left will quickly be filled by another unhappy soul. I have also cut down my car journeys for those little things I need to pop out for, I often stop off at shops on the way home and carry the thing back on my bike as it saves me time. I'm fortunate though and can vary my route slightly to pass almost every type of shop that I need.
Having the Wisper means that when my wife has the car I don't feel stranded and I don't feel any need to buy a second car.

 

[Patrick]

I suppose it just means you can use your bike at home for other activities outside of commuting. Whereas your train journey is just from home to work. You should be able to justify it that way

I'm afraid not, I live in the centre of a small town with everything in walking distance, and my bike's battery is only good for a one way journey to my neighboring towns so I use the train when I go there.

I think that e-bikes have shaky green credential, they are better for the environment then driving around in a car in much the same way as smoking a couple of cigarettes a week is better for your health than smoking 20 a day.

 

[HarryB]

Well you could extend that argument and never go anywhere that didn't invove anything but walking. I love the argument that the train is going there anyway so therefore there is no environmental impact.

 

[Patrick]

Well you could extend that argument and never go anywhere that didn't invove anything but walking..

If you wanted to keep your impact on the environment as low as you possibly can then that would be your best bet. Obviously I'm happy doing some damage, it's only 10 miles to work I could walk it if I really wanted to.

I love the argument that the train is going there anyway so therefore there is no environmental impact.

Good point, if so many the people on the train switched to e-bikes that the train company could reduce the frequency of the trains and the amount of rolling stock it holds then the net result might well be better for the environment. However if a significant proportion but just not quite enough passengers switched then all those extra e-bikes would do extra harm.

So the question is how do you go about assessing the impact of your own non-use of public transport? By switching from train to ebike have I increased or decreased my carbon footprint?

 

[Rab C Nesbitt]

I know this thread is around environmental impact but I think many of us would agree there is also a health impact for us all - very few posters on here use their ebike as a "scooter" - i.e. most of us put in some pedalling to a greater or lesser degree and this in turn will generally contribute to better health.

Don't underestimate the benefits that this gentle, non-impact cardio exercise brings - up here in Glasgow, we have the unenviable reputation of being the heart disease capital of the world.

On my cycle to work I see too many lard arsed kids (and adults) - don't get me wrong, there have always been overweight kids , but there's an explosion these days. I know all about Playstations, and Chelsea tractor driving mothers , poor diets and everything that's supposed to explain why there is so much obesity but I fear we're storing up a health time bomb for the future - and the impact comes when you ask who's going to pay for treating these problems as they come to fruition in the near future - that'll be all of us then.

Just wish some politico had the balls to say all this and actually get proper cycle lanes for kids and adults (not green painted bits of tarmac) rather than bowing to the power of the automobile lobby , which brings us neatly back to BP who have just fecked up the east coast of USA it would seem.

Listen, you all have a nice nice now . . . . .

 

[Mussels]

I know this thread is around environmental impact but I think many of us would agree there is also a health impact for us all - very few posters on here use their ebike as a "scooter" - i.e. most of us put in some pedalling to a greater or lesser degree and this in turn will generally contribute to better health.

Don't underestimate the benefits that this gentle, non-impact cardio exercise brings - up here in Glasgow, we have the unenviable reputation of being the heart disease capital of the world.

As the NHS is one of the biggest producers of CO2 then improving the populations health will have a positive effect on the environment.

 

[Morag]

Since getting Wilma I use her almost everyday for both leisure and getting to the shops so I tend to look at it as doing the tax man out of a bit more of those never ending taxes on petrol, any other benefits drawn from using Wilma over Ethel (the car) i.e. environmental etc. is extra jam on my butty.

 

[lemmy]

Oh, so funny. Many thanks for your twisted logic and your show of semantics. Obviously I don't encourage stealing if nicking means that. What I am implying is, a lot of people may buy the electric bike and keep them in the garage most of the time and occasional recreation use, instead of making more frequent use for normal commuting. I hope this is clear now.

W W Ching

One of the problems with the finger wagging community is that they lack a sense of humour. It is this, as much as anything, that makes people disregard what they say.

Personally, I have an electric bike and a Brompton folding bike and I shall use both of them as I see fit.

In general, you are talking to adults here and when they want advice, they ask for it.