subject: Is a Motor Scooter Dealer Telling You Scooters Are a Green Alternative [print this page] Is a Motor Scooter Dealer Telling You Scooters Are a Green Alternative
That is, I'm a big of them in the right situations. I wouldn't want to cruise cross country in a scooter, nor can I imagine myself on one in a snowstorm. But for getting around cities in temperate climates, I think they're great.
They have several advantages. They're highly maneuverable. They get great gas mileage. It's easy to find a parking place for one. Having your own scooter is a lot more flexible and convenient and gives you greater mobility than depending on public transport.
And of course they're fun to drive.
But are they environmentally friendly? These days, a lot of motor scooter dealers emphasize the economic aspects of buying a scooter. They're less expensive to buy and they're much less expensive to operate. At the same time, dealers also often claim that getting a motor scooter is an environmentally friendly move because they burn so much less gas than a car.
Is that true? Are scooters really a "green" way to get around?
I think the best answer is "It depends." It depends on several factors, the main ones being which scooter you're talking about and your definition of green.
Critics of scooters claim that even though they burn less gas than a car, they burn it less cleanly than a car and that scooter emissions are less regulated than automotive. They say that pollutants in the air per mile traveled per person is the determining factor and on that score a scooter can pollute more heavily than a modern hybrid sedan.
That can be true. In the developing world, scooters are common. They are often made using cheaper 2 cycle engines and little advanced engineering to make them as affordable as possible to their target audience. These scooters do emit heavily.
However, top notch brands like Vespa make well-engineered scooters using 4 cycle engines that have very low emissions. As a bonus, they're quieter as well.
Now the emissions still aren't zero, and riding your bike or walking remains the least polluting way to get around, but using a scooter can be a reasonable choice.
In the end, it's a personal choice and very much depends on your situation and your values. I like to think of myself as environmentally minded. I recycle. I compost. I use compact florescent light bulbs. I don't use pesticides in my garden. And I do ride a bike. In short, I try to pay attention.
For me, if I lived in a city I'd be inclined to get a scooter. I'd definitely get one if the public transportation was unreliable or inconvenient. I'd be doing it for convenience, but I'd let the dealer's claim of it being good for the planet sooth my conscience.
You can get some more information on the environmental impact of scooters at Motor Scooter Dealer. That site also can give you new ways of thinking about scooters (You really can drive them in the rain?!) and factors to consider if you're thinking about getting one. Head on over to http://motorscooterdealer.org/ now and take a look.
