What is “zero-emission” travel and is it, actually possible...
by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
In my view, and I may differ there with some other people in the environmental field, “zero-emission” travel is only human or animal powered travel, e.g. Walking, Cycling and Horse riding, or the use of horse and buggy/wagon, and even all of that is not true “zero emission” if one would wish to consider the emissions caused by the production of the food that we, or the horses, have to use to fuel ourselves or our animals with.
Electric vehicles, as so often advertised as being “zero-emission” do not, in my view, fall entirely under this as, while they may not actually have any emissions, as in CO2, etc., the charging of them via the national grid or via a generator does have emissions of one kind or the other and therefore they cannot be seen entirely as emission free and carbon neutral.
Even if charged by PV panels they are not zero-emission, or being charged by wind power, for the manufacture of the panel or the turbine will have cause emissions of one kind or the other.
Thus, real and true “zero-emission” travel and transportation is not, truly possible, and while the exponents of the electric car and such wish to claim that there are more emissions associated with walking and cycling, or using horse or horse and cart, than with driving an EV, I would suggest that that is not the case.
On the other hand of whatever; walking and cycling – and to some extent also horse riding – is good for the cardio-vascular system and thus keeping us healthy, in the same way that digging your garden beds in preparation for planting is better for you, and the Planet, than using a rototiller.
And this is also true as to cutting the lawn, cutting the meadow or felling a tree. In all cases human power – and animal power – should be given preference over the use of power tools such as gas-powered lawnmower or chainsaw.
Whether or not true “zero-emission” in way of travel and transportation is possible we must go back to the old ways of walking, cycling, etc., if we want to have any chance of reducing the pollution that we are inflicting on the Planet and on us.
I cannot, for the life of me, understand why people have to travel a few hundred yards down the road to the shops in a 4x4 SUV that has at least a 2.6 liter gas or diesel engine and guzzles fuel like no one's business.
OK, fine, I admit, I am not a driver and I do not own a car or truck but that is neither here nor there. The fact is that those vehicles that are needlessly used on very short hops cause more pollution than those that travel the length and breadth of the country, such as the trucks that deliver this and that to the stores.
When it comes to reduced emission travel the electric car and truck, the affordable one, is still years away and, to all intents and purposes, may actually never arrive, considering that cheap, abundant oil is going to be history shortly and thus making the manufacture of such EVs more and more expensive rather than cheaper.
We have, methinks, only one real option and that is to go back to the way our ancient ones traveled, on foot, by bicycle and by horse, donkey or oxen.
© 2011
