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| http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights |
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| https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ |
If
you really want to find a way to live without a car, start taking
notes about what you carry, how far and how steep your hills are. You
might be able to live with an electric bicycle as a second vehicle a
lot easier than only a bicycle, even with a motor. I would rather pay
for an electric bicycle that can handle much more total combined
weight than I will ever carry, on hills that can be avoided most of
the time, than to find out a few years down the road that I put too
much stress on the power-system too often. Electric bicycles can be
built to last twenty years or more. But most factory parts will not
last even half that long.
After
a few months of taking notes you could take an educated chance at
living without a car for a while. I know a magazine editor that did
it for a month or so. But he learned that it was impossible to
maintain a American family without a car. And that their car cost
them around a thousand dollars a month (over the total life span of
the vehicle) in the 1990's. And that was in our SMALL town!
450Lbs
total combined weight is easy to achieve. The average American weighs
200lb +100lb for the bike, leaves 150lb cargo. But most bicycles
can't handle even that much extra weight. How much do you think
children weigh? 350Lb total combined weight is easier to motorize.
I
know people that are rich enough to own an electric bicycle and still
not use it except for good weather joy riding and to run a few
errands. My knees are so worn-out from arthritis that I may never be
able to ride without a motor again. And I have no car, nor can I even
think about paying for the maintenance and insurance of one.
If
only 1% of the world's population can think "outside the box".
The rest are firmly stuck within the box, so writing this blog maybe
a waste of time unless someone is willing to learn to think outside
of the box. You can start by not standing in straight cue lines at
the stores. There is an insane psychology of how people stand in
lines. I usually try to keep the lines from blocking the isle by
turning it, but people get nervous and act like someone is going to
steel their place in line. This insanity also shows up as
'bumper-to-bumper' driving. I don't think I can stand it much
longer!!
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