Phil Hart posted an essay yesterday at The Oil Drum about the future of bicycles - How Big is your Bicycle?. Phil is trying to get people thinking about the subject by asking for opinions on how electric and human powered options should be treated, promoted and controlled. I think this is a great exercise to start getting people thinking about how these transportation alternatives will be incorporated into existing infrastructure.It would be nice if a sustainable, affordable and environmentally benign alternative to the ICE just arrived tomorrow at your local shopping mall but we all know that isn't going to happen by itself. Niche solutions like the electric vehicle or electric assist bicycles/velomobiles need help on so many levels if they are to be adopted on a wide scale. Without individuals willing to champion the cause, humanity will just sleepwalk into the future without developing any viable solutions to deal with the challenge of moving people and goods around with limited liquid fuels.
