Live data from Hacker News

Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

theconversation.com

11–20 of 764 posts

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#11
Cycling to/from work, grocery stores, etc. is completely infeasible for 6 months of the year in approximately 1/3 of the United States. In addition to seasonal infeasibility, much of the U.S. is rural... good luck commuting 15 miles each way to work.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#12
post #7
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why isn't this actionable? We are currently making significant public and private investments into electric cars based on their reduced emissions. Why not also invest in cycling infrastructure (beyond the very limited capacity that most US cities are currently doing)?

There is no evidence to suggest millions of bicycle commuters are waiting in the wings for more green paint.

I am. Cycling in the city is dangerous.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#13
post #6

Cycling is wonderful and I've lived with only a bike and no car at least three times in my adult life. But cycling just isn't going to work in many, many cases. Large parts of the population are too old, too infirm or handicapped in some way to make it more than a few blocks. Yes, some could be forced to lose some weight and get in better shape, but that's not going to work for many people with chronic conditions. Th…

I have two little kids. I also own an electric cargo bike. It has replaced over 2,000 car miles in the past year. I can bike to the grocery store, with two kids, and come back with a week's worth of groceries.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#14
post #4
post #2

The headline claim as laid out in the article: > we found that emissions from cycling can be more than 30 times lower for each trip than driving a fossil fuel car, and about ten times lower than driving an electric one Assuming we’re comparing single occupant passenger vehicles to bicycles (incl. e-bikes), this seems fairly self-evident and hardly actionable. > We observed around 4,000 people living in London, Antwer…

I don’t get it where is the emission coming from bicycle trips?

I would assume from the manufacture of the bicycle.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#15
post #6

Cycling is wonderful and I've lived with only a bike and no car at least three times in my adult life. But cycling just isn't going to work in many, many cases. Large parts of the population are too old, too infirm or handicapped in some way to make it more than a few blocks. Yes, some could be forced to lose some weight and get in better shape, but that's not going to work for many people with chronic conditions. Th…

Sounds like what you need is this https://www.podbike.com/

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#16
post #7
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why isn't this actionable? We are currently making significant public and private investments into electric cars based on their reduced emissions. Why not also invest in cycling infrastructure (beyond the very limited capacity that most US cities are currently doing)?

There is no evidence to suggest millions of bicycle commuters are waiting in the wings for more green paint.

There is plenty of evidence from many cities around the world. Copenhagen is a rather famous example, their turnaround from being very car-centric to being very bike-friendly started in the 70s IIRC, and the transit patterns followed as planned.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#17
post #7
post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why isn't this actionable? We are currently making significant public and private investments into electric cars based on their reduced emissions. Why not also invest in cycling infrastructure (beyond the very limited capacity that most US cities are currently doing)?

There is no evidence to suggest millions of bicycle commuters are waiting in the wings for more green paint.

There actually is pretty significant evidence:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/climate/bikes-climate-cha...

https://www.pnas.org/content/118/15/e2024399118

https://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/jpt16.4_...

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S22136...

https://www.nar.realtor/blogs/spaces-to-places/bike-lanes-bu...

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2011/januar...

(although you might be correct about green paint, thats fake infrastructure and paint won't protect people from getting hit by cars)

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#18
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t get it where is the emission coming from bicycle trips?

I would assume from the manufacture of the bicycle.

Really? Manufacturing a bicycle has only 10x lower carbon footprint than manufacturing an electric car? Doesn’t sound logical to me.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#19
post #4
post #2

The headline claim as laid out in the article: > we found that emissions from cycling can be more than 30 times lower for each trip than driving a fossil fuel car, and about ten times lower than driving an electric one Assuming we’re comparing single occupant passenger vehicles to bicycles (incl. e-bikes), this seems fairly self-evident and hardly actionable. > We observed around 4,000 people living in London, Antwer…

I don’t get it where is the emission coming from bicycle trips?

I guess you have to eat a bit more if you ride more, I certainly notice when I bike to work (5mi each way, 300ft climb) that I need to eat a bit more food. Certainly no where near the energy of a car though but its not zero. Assuming you want to maintain your weight.

Re: Cycling is more important than electric cars for reaching net-zero cities

#20
post #6

Cycling is wonderful and I've lived with only a bike and no car at least three times in my adult life. But cycling just isn't going to work in many, many cases. Large parts of the population are too old, too infirm or handicapped in some way to make it more than a few blocks. Yes, some could be forced to lose some weight and get in better shape, but that's not going to work for many people with chronic conditions. Th…

Large parts of the population are too old and infirm to drive safely any distance.
Post reply on HN