Scooting Along To More Pollution

Many people have begun riding scooters rather than driving in cars because of the oil crisis. And why not? A good scooter can get 80 Miles Per Gallon and is far less expensive than a car. It’s great for the environment, right? Not according to Friday’s Cover Story in the Statesman:

Motorcycles and scooters may be fuel-efficient, but they are big polluters – and none of them are tested in the Treasure Valley, even in Ada County, where most cars and trucks must pass emissions muster.

Some motorcycles emit as much hydrocarbon in 10 miles as a car driven 850 miles, according to Environmental Protection Agency studies.

Car engines use much more fuel and create more pollution than motorcycle engines, but sophisticated emission-control devices prevent much of a car’s emissions from getting into the air, said Wayne Elson, environmental protection specialist with the EPA’s Seattle office.

So, great job, environmentalists. More people have been driven to scooters by high gas prices leading to more air pollution. So which is really better for the environment?

When it comes to reducing fuel consumption and improving global climate conditions, a motorcycle or scooter is still the better choice, Swanton said.

But when it comes to reducing smog and improving local air quality, “the Hummer is better than a small scooter because it has more sophisticated emission controls,” he said. “Its emissions are pretty low relative to a motorcycle.”

So, we have to pick between them? To me, it seems that that basic environmental concern is the most important. Concerns about climate change assume a big man-made impact on the process as well as that we know what the ideal temperature for the Earth should be when we are speculating at best.

On the other hand, I think we can all agree that clean air and clean water are things we should strive for. The problem? We’re making driving less poluting cars more expensive, forcing people into scooters and motorcycles. Maybe we’d better off without activists who want to see $10 a gallon gas and think they’ve got it all figured out when it comes to managing the economy and the ecology of Planet Earth.

Maybe we’re better off trying to build better cars and convincing people to buy them, rather than artificially manipulating oil prices by blocking drilling in order to make people do what we want. Perhaps this crazy thing called freedom actually could work if we gave it a shot.

Just a thought.