Not a waste if the fatbike still provides transportation at a fraction of the cost of alternatives. ( it does )
Sad that someone would deprive themselves of health-supporting physical activity when given a prime opportunity to benefit from it, however...
Humans are ~20% efficient food to mechanical energy engines, and the modern day food supply produces tons of hydrocarbon emissions per calorie.. even worse is that when vegetables rot in landfills, they produce a
decent amount of methane too.
Unless you are eating out of your backyard farm exclusively, or you've figured out how to metabolize hydrocarbons, pedaling is going to produce more net carbon emissions than your worst case fossil fueled scenario
Take notice also on the costs of a 40 mile bike ride at medium human speed ( ~13mph )
- For most people this will expend 2000 calories, which almost doubles food intake for the day.. will cost something like $4-$15 worth of food.. more expensive than gasoline for a car.. and we traveled at a fraction of the speed!
- Running an electric bike at human bike speed won't even use a kilowatt hour of electricity, but a kilowatt hour costs $0.10-$0.3 depending on where you live.
From
this website:
^-- this doesn't mention landfill emissions, the fact that ~99% of fertilizer comes from petroleum,
offgassing of rice paddies, etc. It's a deep rabbit hole!
I personally pedal for the benefit of my physical and mental health despite these inconvenient truths about the human engine.
endless-sphere.com
