Do e scooters really make a difference for our planet asks Jeremiah Johnson writing in The Conversation. A few years ago it might have seemed unusual for an associate professor of environmental engineering to blog on a news site. Equally so, we might have gaped astounded at ride sharing. It’s so common now we forget to ask the fundamental question.
What Contribution Do E Scooters Actually Make?
It seemed a no-brainier before we read the prof’s post. It was so cool using e-scooters for the last leg of a daily journey back from work. And it felt kinda good whizzing along feeling we were doing something about global warming too.
But do e-scooters really make a difference to the amount of carbon pumping into the atmosphere Jeremiah Johnson asks. He has been running the numbers about the benefits of using a scooter compared to a city bus. Those buses still run regardless, he says. And if we jump into the family auto to go shopping when we get home what’s the point?
The Point Is E-Scooters Are Not Carbon-Free
To prove his point, Jeremiah Johnson dismantled an e-scooter. Well, we’ll assume he did, although he may have made it a student project. That e scooter contained thirteen pounds of aluminum, a 2.5-pound lithium-ion battery, an electric motor and various plastic and steel parts.
All that stuff had to come from a mine, a smelter, or a factory somewhere likely in China. There was no carbon tag on it, and therefore we have no idea which greenhouse gases the scooter manufacture released. Therefore, claims of carbon-free rides are just dreams blowing in the wind. We didn’t mention the carbon cost of collecting, recharging and redeploying them until now.
The prof concludes “a scooter ride that doesn’t replace a car trip is unlikely to be a net win for the planet for now”. We therefore need to take a more holistic approach to what is in principle a good idea.
Related
Israel’s Unregulated Battery Scooters Boom
Should Electric Scooters Come In for Winter?
Preview Image: Lime Scooter in Baltimore
