Why Electric Scooters are a Great Green Commuting Option
Did you know electric scooters can help the environment? Read on to learn why electric scooters are a great green commuting option.
Haven't you heard? The "electric scooter boom" has arrived.
The electric scooter burst on the scene on the streets of San Francisco to be enjoyed by the tech-savvy Silicon Valley professionals and hipster coffee shop workers. Now electric scooters have taken over the world. A number of electric scooter start-ups and companies have entered the market to provide people with a great solution to urban transport.
From Paris to New York to Madrid to Tel Aviv, the start-ups that introduced the electric scooter to our cities are now worth billions. However, you don't have to wait for dockless electric scooters to arrive in your city. Have you considered purchasing your own electric scooter?
For many people, the most exciting thing about the electric scooter craze is the opportunity for green commuting.
Keep reading to discover why switching from your car to an electric scooter can help the environment. Let's go!
1. Fewer Carbon Emissions
According to the most recent United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, we have only 12 years to save ourselves from climate catastrophe.
Therefore, it may seem somewhat glib to suggest that everyone should get out there on an electric scooter. However, bear with me for a moment.
Over half of the world's population currently live in cities. This figure is expected to rise by up to 70 percent by the year 2050.
How we choose to move around our city really matters. Many of the present means of moving around the city are powered by fossil fuels, such as oil and gas.
Currently, nearly 30 percent of the United States' total greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation. This makes it the single largest contributor to global warming.
Austin, Texas is among the many cities realizing the potential of electric scooters to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Austin Monitor, the adaptation of electric scooters has already reduced total emissions by nearly 500,000 pounds of carbon.
In New York City, even if the mix of vehicles shifted to 80 percent cars and 20 percent electric scooters, there would be drastic reductions in emissions. And there would be a saving of over 2.5 million gallons of fuel every year.
2. The Last/First Mile Problem
You see, one of the greatest problems of sustainable urban planning is the so-called "last/ first-mile problem". Many commuters find it relatively easy to get from one city to another.
If you're taking the train to work. The biggest problem is the part of the journey from your home to the train station, and then again from the train station to your workplace.
That's often why people don't choose to use public transport at all. It's pretty easy to get to most cities via car. However, once you're in the city, you find yourself stuck in traffic.
The average commuter spends approximately 42 hours per year in traffic. That's a whole working week for many people.
Not only does this amount to nearly $1,000 worth of gas, but it's also a significant cause of stress and depression.
And it's also worth noting that this is only an average amount of time spent in traffic.
Many commuters spend an even longer time stuck in traffic. Especially those who commute to the congested cities in the country. For example, in Los Angeles, this number is over 90 hours per year.
The final mile of your commute to work is often characterized by congested roads, time wasted trying to park your vehicle and a lot of road rage.
In fact, around 35 percent of the total number of journeys in a vehicle is 2 miles or less. Did you know that in the United States, less than 3 percent of us walk or cycle to work?
Electric scooters provide an efficient, affordable and green solution to the "final mile" problem. You need to buy your own electric scooter today!
You no longer have to worry about the final stretch of your journey. Can you imagine the time you could save because you don't have to look for a parking spot?
3. Air Pollution in Our Cities
Even though climate change gets most of the media coverage (still not nearly enough by the way), air pollution is another important environmental problem that we need to address.
According to experts, it's actually the "biggest threat to human health" in the world. Yes, it's not cancer or sharks, it's air pollution in our urban areas.
According to the American Lung Association, over 40 percent of people in the United States currently live in counties with "unhealthy levels of air pollution".
This is also caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the particulate matter that is pumped into the air by gasoline and diesel vehicles.
Our polluted city causes significant harm to human health, with links to an increased risk of lung cancer and asthma attacks.
By switching from your gasoline-powered vehicle to an electric scooter, you could significantly reduce your contribution to the polluted environment of our cities.
4. Reduce Noise Pollution
If air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to human health, the second biggest is noise pollution. Yes, noise damages health.
The normal level of hearing for human beings is less than 25 decibels. And yet, the average roadway noise level is approximately 85 decibels. This significantly over what experts consider to be "dangerous" levels of noise.
Not only does this cause hearing loss, but it's also damaging well-being. It causes people to suffer from high levels of stress. And there's even evidence that results in birth defects.
Not to mention the simple problem of - how can people be expected to sleep in a city with dangerous levels of noise?
According to the World Health Organization, over 70 percent of noise pollution in our cities is caused by vehicle traffic.
In contrast to cars and other road vehicles, electric scooters make very little noise on our urban streets. Can you imagine a city where you can hear yourself think?
5. Electric Scooters to Replace Cars
Of course, many of the assumptions about the green potential of electric scooters is based on the idea that they will replace cars.
If electric scooters are a replacement for walking or cycling, they won't have as great an impact on the environment of the city. However, the evidence so far suggests that many people are dropping their car for electric scooters.
According to a poll conducted in Seattle, over 80 percent of the number of people adopting electric scooters are using them as an alternative to their car.
If this trend is transferred to the rest of the country, this could represent a significant cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
6. Less Waste Compared to Cars
Currently, there are over 2 vehicles per household in the United States. This is an extraordinary consumption of fossil fuels has to stop.
The average car owner spends approximately 1.5 percent of annual income on car repairs and maintenance. This is extremely wasteful on both environmental and economic grounds.
The beauty of electric scooters is that they don't require repairs anywhere near as much as your vehicle. For starters, this is because they don't have as many parts as the average car. There's no cylinders, valves, and carburetors, all of which often get damaged.
As a result, with electric scooters, there's no need to provide replacement parts as much or produce hazardous waste.
7. The Future of Urban Transport
The number and importance of the environmental problems that are facing our cities are immense.
More people need to switch to green commuting if we're going to have any chance of fighting climate change, reducing air pollution and overcoming noise pollution in our cities.
Even though electric scooters are currently encountering several legal and political problems, there are also signs that they can be overcome too.
If you want to be part of the solution, rather than the problem, of developing a sustainable and ecological urban environment, join the electric scooter revolution today.
Start Your Journey with Green Commuting
Many of us spend hours and hours every week commuting to work. Are you tired of sitting in traffic on your way to work?
You need to ditch your car and choose an electric scooter today for the final few miles of your journey to work.
By choosing an e scooter, a green commuting method to get to your place of work, you can improve your lifestyle and your city's environment for the better. Everyone wins!
If you would like to find out more about buying your own electric scooter or hoverboard, check out the nearest store to you!
