Bikes, efficiency, the environment, the opponents

[akahn]

Hi pirates. I'm taking an anthropology course called Human Ecology and I'm planning to do a presentation to the class on biking as an adaptation to industrial society, one that is more efficient than automobiles. So I was wondering if anyone had any information comparing the energy efficiency of bikes and cars, also their environmental impacts.

Comments

[superjen]

i can't really give you any information, but if you search your school's library databases, you can probably find some highly pertinent articles.

also, maybe you could to a physics person about the relationship of work done vs. power and energy in regards to people and bicycles.

[palmir]

See:
Treehugger.com

How Stuff Works

And of course Ken Kifer's cost comparison. My only suggestion would be to add in cost of not doing any work yourself (changing chains, cassettes, tires, etc.), to show what the average person probably would do - THEN show the improvements doing these things would do. The advantage over the car when not doing any maintenance yourself (but still doing the recommended maintenance) is still huge.

As for the relationship between auto and petroleum industries... hit your library and find some articles from reputable print magazines or other things not available online.

Cars != Treehugging

[jymdyer]

=v= I am very very unimpressed with treehugger.com on this point, because they fall hook, line, and sinker for every supposedly-eco car that comes along.

[y0ssarian]

http://www.energy.gov/

[dravogadro]

In case you're interested, there is research being performed to make cars more energy efficient using hydraulic fluid. Apparently they will make Priuses look like SUVs. It is also a very long ways away.

Zillions of Sources

[jymdyer]

=v= There are many, many things written about this. Let me direct you to a very good starting point, though: Energy and Equity, by Ivan Illich. For facts and figures, the Victoria Transport Policy Institute has been useful for years, but again there are zillions of sources.