Is it simplistic?

A recent article on Treehugger - "Volt, schmolt; get a bike instead" - in which the author, while agreeing that electric vehicles are a step ahead of gasoline powered vehicles, never-the-less argues that a bicycle would be a step even further along. Well, one of the comments struck a nerve, with the commenter calling such an argument simplistic and infantile, and not worthy of even a 5th grade mind.

Now beside the fact that I suspect this particular commenter has not matured enough see past the "bicycle as toy, grow-up and drive" argument, I believe she is confusing simple mindedness with simplicity of the device. It is true, a bicycle is a simple device. It requires very little knowledge to maintain and repair. Buy any electric car today and you had better expect to part with thousands of dollars over the course of its lifetime for maintenance and repairs. Of course in this, I guess, the commenter does have a point; one does not require a PhD level mind to recognize which is the better of the two buys.

How is continuing down the same tried and failed transportation system anything other than simplistic. Changing from gasoline to coal, or even solar, generated electric power does nothing to relieve stifling congestion, mitigate against the detrimental effects to physical and mental health brought on by hours of immobility spent within the confines of an automobile. Changing from gasoline to electric does nothing to push back the tide of ever expanding road systems, parking lots and other infrastructure, nor does such a change relieve the fiscal drain at all levels of society required to maintain all this infrastructure. Changing from gasoline to electric power will do nothing to aid in saving the tens of thousands of lives that will be lost each year as a result of our current system of mobility. Continuing to favor a transportation system little changed from the current status quo is so simplistic as to be idiotic. On the other hand a system favoring active and mass transportation, one that moves more with less, requires much more thought, requires individuals to look beyond themselves and actually consider what this might mean to future generations.