Electric Dreams

I'm seriously considering the electric option for the bicycles (the Gr8, with any luck, might be here in two or three weeks). I have been so, so keen to switch from car to bicycle. Unfortunately, I realize now that those "little" hills here are not so little and that the slightest uphill climb is a struggle. It is near impossible with the kids. I haven't taken the bicycle to run errands yet with the kids because I remember just how hard it was with just Zoe and her school bag. Going to say Trader Joe's should be mostly alright since it is down the hill. But how to get back up? So, for now, our brand new Edgerunner is used a lot less than envisioned.

I asked Richard of icargobikes.com about it and he suggested a few options, none of them truly cheap. Cheap is relative of course. Cheaper than buying a new car. Cheaper if one is able to amortize the expenditure over say ten years. Part of me feel foolish. Why did I even think of this? A Prius is a good vehicle. If one (I) really meant to do my part, I should just cut out  the longer drives to say H-mart to buy kimchi.

I'm thinking how hard it is for society to achieve "energy descend." Habits and lifestyle is hard to break. Last year, or is it two years ago now, I used to shower every other day on days I don't work in the garden. Now, I shower every day and I am not as mindful about getting out of the shower in minimal time. I luxuriate some days, even though I know that water is too precious to be used this way. Yet, I am selfish these days. With the bicycle, the idea is that it is a way of helping us achieve a healthy lifestyle (if we are healthy, we won't become a burden on the already overburdened health care system. If we are healthy, we can be useful members of society) and to reduce our reliance on gas, something that we are running out of rapidly. If we all use a little less, perhaps we could save our children from an even worse climatic fate in the future. It is a personal pledge to do something. Going car free is going to be hard. I never did think we can't do it. But now, I wonder if we can. The electric option would help me go car free, but it means we won't be completely free from external source of energy (not counting food as fuel for body of course). But it would help me get away from the car.