Food for thought. How many times have you paused and wondered how you can use your electric scooter for more than just fun and convenience?
What other good things can result from riding it?
Did you know that your electric scooter can also be a powerful tool for social good and environmental protection?
Electric scooters are a form of micro-mobility, and they are lightweight vehicles that are just right for short-distance transportation.
So, have you considered the many benefits that e-scooters have for both the environment and society?
Well, let’s look at some of the ways you can use your electric scooter for social good and environmental protection, and then provide some helpful tips on how to reduce the alleged negative impact:
1. Decrease air pollution
This is a fact. Electric scooters do not emit greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), which are released when fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas are burned. These gasses contribute to global warming and climate change, which have negative impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity, human health, and food security.
By using electric scooters instead of cars or motorcycles for short trips, you can reduce your carbon footprint and thus, help improve the air quality in your city.
2. Efficient use of energy
How do electric scooters make efficient use of energy? They consume less electricity than cars or motorcycles, which means they require less power generation and transmission. They also have a lower weight and size than other vehicles, and as such, they need less material and resources to produce and maintain. They also take up less space on the road and parking lots, which reduces congestion and traffic jams.
By using an electric scooter, you are doing your part to support the local economy while enhancing social inclusion and equity.
3. Reduce noise pollution
There were times that you probably noticed how quiet electric scooters are, compared to cars or motorcycles, which produce loud noises when they rev up. The loud, grating sound disturbs not only people but animals too. Noise pollution over time can cause stress, anxiety, insomnia, hearing loss, and even cardiovascular problems.
By using electric scooters, you can help reduce noise pollution and promote a more peaceful and pleasant environment for yourself and others.
4. Improve the economy
Electric scooters can also have positive effects on the economy. How so? They can help generate new jobs and businesses for people who provide services such as charging, repairing, or renting electric e-scooters. They can also increase the accessibility and mobility of people who previously did not have access to other forms of transport like public transit or cars. Now, they have the opportunity to travel to short distances, like the local store, pharmacy or grocery to buy basic necessities.
By using the e-scooter, people can improve their access to other opportunities in education, employment, health care, and yes, even social interaction like meet ups with friends, colleagues at a park for some interesting tete-a-tete.
5. Promote health and well-being
It’s now acknowledged that electric scooters can also have positive effects on one’s health and well-being. Riding an electric scooter can be a fun and enjoyable activity that can boost a person’s mood and help reduce stress. It can also provide some physical exercise. How they do it is simple — use the manual mode or pedal assist option.
A bit of sunshine in the early morning, breathing in and out fresh air while leisurely riding your lightweight, compact electric scooter helps to fortify your immune system and give your lungs a healthy dose of the natural oxygen it needs. Whether young or not-so young, riding an electric scooter does a lot of wonders to help improve your mental health. A few rounds on the block can equal brisk walking as an active exercise. And in case you take it for granted, nothing can replace that sense of freedom, independence, the excitement and thrill of adventure that wants to break loose.
By using an electric scooter, you can enhance your personal health and well-being, and the positive noticeable change in you can also encourage others to do the same.
6. Encourage active travel
Electric scooters can also encourage active travel, like using an electric scooter, an alternative mode of transport. Active travel has many benefits for the environment and society, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, enhancing a person’s physical and mental health, and fostering social interpersonal relations with and in the community.
By using an electric scooter, you can promote active travel and inspire others to join and support the local economy while enhancing social inclusion and equity.
7. Support public transport
Electric scooters can also support public transport, which is another form of sustainable transportation that reduces car dependency and congestion. Electric scooters can provide a convenient and flexible way to access public transport stations or hubs — especially for the first or last mile of one’s journey. This is one option that can increase the attractiveness and usage of public transport, as it also reduces the need for parking spaces or storage facilities.
By using an electric scooter, you can complement public transport and make your trips more efficient, less stressful and enjoyable.
8. Take a life-cycle approach
While electric scooters are not the be-all, absolute solutions for the environment and society, and considering some drawbacks, like the safety risks for users and pedestrians, especially if not used properly or regulated effectively, and the lifespan of the e-scooter,
by taking a life-cycle approach means having an awareness of the environmental and social impacts of electric scooters throughout their production, use, and disposal stages.
As such, appropriate actions are taken to reduce those impacts, like carefully choosing green electricity sources, finding ways to extend the lifetime of one’s e-scooter, following road and traffic safety rules and guidelines, and disposing of the e-scooters responsibly.
Without a doubt, the electric scooter is a form of micro-mobility conveyance that consistently offers numerous benefits – for the environment, the community and society as a whole.
Conclusion
The social good that using an electric scooter brings is clear: to help improve people’s lives by providing an affordable alternative mode of transport to further enliven the economy to flourish, especially after the pandemic.
As a personal mobility device, the electric scooter is doing its part to protect the environment by contributing zero emissions and help decrease air pollution, including reducing noise pollution. And because it does not require fuel or gas to run, it saves energy.
These urgent concerns are being tackled in international symposia and forums, with the global objective of achieving sustainable existence, for present and future generations. For its part, electric scooters are involved, for the long haul and for mankind’s survival.
