Running the World by Bicycle (or not...)

Three times this past week I was asked about why don't we make a bike powered generator to watch TV or power our computers.  The main reason is that we don't have the umpf  to do it! It seems crazy, but we (humans) don't put out anywhere as much energy as we use.

The current record holder for the energy output over an hour for a human is Ondrej Sosenka and the website BikeCult.com has an estimate of his average wattage during his Hour Record at 430 Watts! (just over 1/2 horsepower)  If Ondrej’s bike were attached to a bicycle generator and it was super efficient, Ondrej would have been generating enough power to light up 7 60-Watt light bulbs! 

Your average desktop computer (Modern LCD, Not old tube style) uses about 60-250 watts.  General efficiency ratings for an electric generator is 60% (80% for really high tech good ones).  So figure 60% of 430 watts is 250 watts - BY THE RECORD HOLDER!! (and only for an hour!) I think a fairly fit person would be hard pressed to generate a full 100 watts for even a few minutes. High Tide Labs, in Palo Alto, California, recently launched a bike-mounted generator called the RollerGen, which puts out just over 30 watts—as long as you're ride faster than 8 mph for 10 minutes.

Then, if you want to use it to charge a battery - say pedal for three hours and then run some high power demand for 30 minutes or so - you have to figure out the efficiency of the batteries.  Typical efficiency in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%, in alkaline and NiCad battery it is about 65%.

So while it seems tempting, the reality is, we just don't put out much energy by ourselves.  That's why we (humans) used to use horses and other big animals for hard work, and that's why our world has changed so much in the last century - since we started really using fossil fuels as energy sources.

On a side note, many of the pedal powered solutions being developed for developing countries don't go through the step of generating electricity - they use mechanical energy.  Things such as washing machines, etc.  I've even seen pedal powered merry-go-rounds.  It's crazy, but we waste almost half of the energy in our fuel when we use it via electricity.  We waste some energy as heat in the conversion to electricity. We waste a LOT in transmission. We waste a lot storing it in batteries. And, we generally waste a lot in heat when we run the final product (good 'ol incandescent lamps, for example.)

P.S. Some of my favorite diagrams are the "Energy Flow Diagrams" from the Lawrence Livermore National Labs. They show where our energy comes from and how it's used in the US.  Note that most - 57% in 2008 -  is "rejected" (or wasted) in transmission, etc.

You *Can* Make A Difference! (Not!)

The other day I attended a conference in Seattle and the opening keynote speaker was Philipe Cousteau - the grandson of Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau. Philippe is continuing the work of his father and grandfather through EarthEcho International, the non-profit organization he founded with his sister and mother and of which he serves as CEO. Philippe is also the Chief Ocean Correspondent for Animal Planet. In the talk he described the work he does when he visits schools or groups of kids - both in person or through video links.
What I found refreshing was his tale that whenever he does have a group of kids, he always asks "How many of you have heard 'You Can Make A Difference?'" Generally most of the kids raise their hands, and the adults smile that they've done a a good job.  Philippe them goes on to say that "Well, its not true," and then pauses.  The kids get quite, and the adults get angry.  After letting them stew for a bit, be goes on to explain that it's wrong because it's not that "you can make a difference," but rather that "you do make a difference."  It's not something that is optional!  Everything we do has an impact on other things.  We're making choices, often without considering them.  But we really do make a difference.
As and educator, I worry a bit about how we help kids realize that they are making choices all the time, without creating guilt or causing them to shut down, but I do think it's important that we think about the implied parts of our messages and me very careful in how we describe things.

Chilly Hilly - Building Camaraderie within the Bikers....

Bainbridge Island is the site of the opening ride of the Puget Sound bicycle season - the "Chilly Hilly." It's "Chilly" because it's usually in February - a usually wet and cold time of year, and "Hilly" as it is 33 miles around and across the island, going up and down some of our many hills.
Ray Cramer has bee great at organizing an IslandWood team each year to ride in the event.  We generally have "practice rides" at lunchtime on Fridays for several weeks prior to the "real" ride.  This is a great way to build up some camaraderie, but there's also a lot of chatter around tips and tricks for bicycle commuting. "Where did you get that?" "What's the best route to..."etc.
The night before the ride, one of our graduate students, Zach, hosted a tune-up clinic for anyone who wanted to add some last minute tweaks.
On Sunday morning, we all met at T&C for a group start.  This photo shows 25 people and one giant tree frog.  We had staff, grad students, alumni, and family members.  Other staff joined for short sections in the course.  Overall we had more than 30 people closely connected to IslandWood participate in teh ride (and a few who stood at the side and encouraged us!)
Now, let's see how many of those we can encourage to continueto ride their bikes!

Here's a poetic view of the 2010 event...

Cycling Timelapse & Video (Chilly Hilly 2010) from Garrett Wesley Gibbons on Vimeo.

Reducing Our Waste

Most people these days are good at the third "R," recycling. Well at least most people think about that as an option. It can still be confusing what can be recycled where, since all communities have slightly different rules. In the end it comes down to what there is a market for. Only materials that can be made into something else are going to be of value.

Some people are good at the second "R," reusing. I often find items in the recycling that could be reused a few times before being recycled. Some surprising examples are sheets of paper that have one line printed on them and the entire rest of the sheet is blank, not to mention the other side of the sheet. Reuse before Recycling!

The first "R" however, needs a lot more attention. Reducing our waste is the most important thing we can do. Recycling requires a lot of energy and transportation. The first step is to avoid using disposable products - bring your own mug when you get coffee, bring your own bags to the grocery store, bring your own tupperware to restaurants for leftovers. Once you've mastered those, I challenge you to look through your trash can and recycling and think about every item in there. What could you not use in the first place? How can you reduce the amount of stuff that is going in there each week? Feel free to share your advice or struggles in the comment section.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!