Think Your Scooter is Greener Than an SUV? Think Again
Friday - January 16, 2009
Geography for most of us is an impedance to riding a bicycle everywhere. Sure, you want to be eco-conscious and geez, wouldn’t it be fun to snidely drive past those big ol’ gas guzzlers while thumbing your nose at them? For a lot of us that just is not going to happen strictly from a commuting distance perspective.
A lot of folks are considering turning to a scooter (think Vespa) to bridge the gap. Heck, you can go about a jillion miles between fill ups, parking is a breeze and they’re cute as all get out.
An not only that, they don’t pollute like those big… Uh-oh. Better stop right there. Remember that whenever we judge something based on its size, we do a disservice.
Think about the last time you opened the hood of a modern day vehicle. You probably remember a broad expanse of boxes, wiring and electronics. Much of what you could see (and a lot of things you couldn’t) are geared toward decreasing pollutants and emissions.
On a scooter, you don’t have the room for such amenities. Which isn’t to say that they spew giant plumes of black smoke, but here is an interesting fact for ya: THE EPA sez cars these days can emit about 0.16 grams of Hydrocarbons and Nitrous Oxides for every mile. Scooter drivers are allowed 1.3 grams per mile. Now, I’m no mathemagician, but that qualifies as a LOT more stuff in the air, no?
This doesn’t mean you should junk the scooter and go buy a V-10 sedan. Scooters do produce less carbon dioxide and of course they consume less fuel, so overall the trade offs may swing things in favor of your two wheeled transportation.
This does point out that nothing is cut and dry. We’ve yet to attain perfection in our transportation modes.
SOURCE: MIAMI EXAMINER
