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153 comments on Barack Obama on Energy

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totoneila on March 2, 2006 - 9:53pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Umass1993,

Just a little more.  I agree with your sentiment that cars are killing us, I would prefer bicycles too, but we have to offer a bridging transport mechanism of motorcycles and Quads for those with a bad sense of balance and/or long commute distances.  The Japanese are already years ahead of Detroit, they have been manufacturing bicycle motors, small motorcycles, and quads for decades.  The quads are currently optimized for off-road activity, but minor engineering changes would quickly enhance street legal usage.  Motorized bicycles get near 300 mpg.

I have ridden motorcycles for years in all kinds of weather conditions, people just need to reset their expectations of what transport should be.  A quad can cover a remarkable distance on very little fuel-- you just dress appropriately for the weather.  People need to give up on the idea of a comfortably heated or AC cocoon because the required poundage is a waste of energy.  Put on a helmet for safety and you are good to go.  Pull a small trailer if you need to haul the kids or a larger load.

Bob Shaw in Phx,AZ  Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?

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umass1993 on March 3, 2006 - 12:50am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Bob:
I lived in Phoenix for 2-3 years. I understand where you are coming from.  There are many bikers in Phoenix.

Bikes are not tenable in Phoenix.  Not for the masses. It gets to be 115 degrees during the day, it's probably hotter on I-17.  Plus the safety issues.  Seatbelts save lives and motorcycles don't even have them.

My preferred mode of transportation is the shoe. They sell for about $50 a pair and are really reliable.  Sometimes a shoelace breaks, and thats a bummer,  but I can usually make it to a local drugstore and get a replacement.

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totoneila on March 3, 2006 - 4:07am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Umass1993,

Nothing wrong with walking [it does burn calories], but you are not maximizing your personal thermo-efficiency potential-- this will be a life or death issue in the future when there is very little food and clean water to go around. A good bicycle with baskets will be worth its weight in gold.

When gas prices start spiraling really high, people will not have any choice but to pedal or go for small motorized vehicles.  The heat is uncomfortable, but not a problem if you stay adequately hydrated, slow down your pedal rate, and take frequent breaks.  On the bright side, we never have to shovel the sunshine!  Come crunch time, the obese will slim down-- they will have no other choice.  Pedaling is still much more time and energy efficient than walking.  Lots more fun too.  Here is a good link:

http://tinyurl.com/bf4tg

Excerpt:
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Man, unaided by any tool, gets around quite efficiently. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer in ten minutes by expending 0.75 calories. Man on his feet is thermodynamically more efficient than any motorized vehicle and most animals. For his weight, he performs more work in locomotion than rats or oxen, less than horses or sturgeon. At this rate of efficiency man settled the world and made its history. At this rate peasant societies spend less than 5 per cent and nomads less than 8 per cent of their respective social time budgets outside the home or the encampment.

Man on a bicycle can go three or four times faster than the pedestrian, but uses five times less energy in the process. He carries one gram of his weight over a kilometer of flat road at an expense of only 0.15 calories. The bicycle is the perfect transducer to match man's metabolic energy to the impedance of locomotion. Equipped with this tool, man outstrips the efficiency of not only all machines but all other animals as well.
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Now you understand why I earlier typed why a good bicycle with baskets will be worth its weight in gold.

Unfortunately, the Zimbabweans did not have a Powerdown Plan and are paying heavily for it now.  The lack of planning for transport alternatives has made bicycle demand one of the leading causes of inflation:

http://tinyurl.com/pphhs

Excerpt:
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Inflation in Zimbabwe soared to 613% in January, the state Central Statistical Office said on Tuesday.  The highest price increases recorded during the year were for postal services, up 3,000%, bicycles, 2,687%, and medicines, 1,367%.
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Just imagine what the bicycle theft rate must be-- I bet an owner never lets the bike be out of his sight.  Having a bicycle is now a life or death issue in Zimbabwe--I bet people are killed over bicycles.  Sad.

If a Zimbabwean is desperately scavenging for food by purely walking: he/she might be burning more calories than they harvest-- they are only hastening their starvation.

I understand your safety concern about no seatbelts on bicycles & motorcycles & quads, but in a world of declining net energy we will not be able to afford many 'safety luxuries'.  For example: the simple act of adjusting the house thermostat is much safer than the future swinging of an axe for hours on end to generate the same amount of equivalent heat in firewood.  We just need to mentally adjust to a more dangerous existence.  Such will be postPeak life, better get used to it.

Bob Shaw in Phx,AZ  Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?

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Mad Maxout on March 5, 2006 - 11:26pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Interesting posting about bikes. The increased hazards of motorcycle use represents a lowering of living standards due to less available energy. The human + bicycle is surely the most energy-efficient method of travel known or even possible.

Some people have a crappy sense of balance, which makes motorcycle use more hazardous. I took a motorcycle class last year but lack of enough practice meant that I flunked the riding test. :( So, some people will need a non-balancing vehicle to use.

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Don in Colorado on March 3, 2006 - 2:00am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Hey Totoneila,

I found the most powerful electric bike I could buy for $500 last summer. But it just crawled up the steep hills here in Colorado, and the town cop was giving me the evil eye. (He rides a Harley.)

So I bought a Yamaha 125 street cruiser. It gets about 90 mpg, is fun to ride and gets me down to the local coffee shop where I can argue with the cowboys about peak oil. They all drive Dodge Ram pickups.

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totoneila on March 3, 2006 - 4:25am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Good for you Don,

I am no expert, but my guess is that because of the batteries, the embedded energy in an electric scooter is much higher than an equivalent small motorcycle.  The energy losses through the batteries is probably much higher than the energy losses through the gas motor on a pure HP conversion basis,too.  After riding in the cold Colorado temps, a toasty little motor is much better for warming your hands on anyway.  Enjoy your knees in the breeze, and keep the shiny side up!  Thxs for responding.

Bob Shaw in Phx,AZ  Are Humans Smarter than Yeast?

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Weather on March 3, 2006 - 3:04pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Use this 48V Brushless DC bike motor 1000W:

http://www.electricbikessys.com/motor.htm

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