Its Time To Save Our World
This article first appeared in the March issue of the Ashland Locals Guide
Its Time to Save Our World
by Jerry Solomon
Electric bikes are a ton of fun to ride! They turn every trip to the grocery store, to work, or out on the town at night an adventure. Everyone feels as strong as Lance Armstrong and smiles abound on the faces of ebikers wherever they ride. The fun factor cannot be over emphasized, yet there’s another much more serious side to the picture. Wide scale electric bike usage is a substantial step in the right direction for a world in the throes of escalating environmental degradation.
In the first two months of this year there have already been numerous dangerous oil spills, gas leaks, and pipeline disasters across our country. Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and North Carolina have all endured fuel industry-related calamities. The Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline project continues to loom over all our heads. Did you know that over 14,000 oil spills are reported annually in the U.S.? Its anybody’s guess what the unreported number is added on top of that. Modern societies are bleeding toxicity all over our mother Earth.
Scientists are sounding more like activists everyday as they warn us of the dire state of our impacts on the systems of the planet. Precious few of the strategies that were mapped out for us decades ago have yet to be implemented. Therefore, the window for easeful changes is all but shut and we need to make even more radical shifts in energy usage, politics, and governance. Fundamental economic structures will need to be revisited as well. In short, we collectively need to find radical new ways of being in this world we share, and we need to begin NOW.
Can the purchase of an electric bike really have much of an impact in the face of such global issues? Every time I ride past a gas station or a line of cars sitting in traffic it tells me that the answer is, Yes. This lifestyle we promote here at Ashland Electric Bikes is one we embody ourselves. Rare is the day, regardless of the weather, that I’m not out ‘takin’ care of business’ via my electric bike. My employee shares that same enthusiasm by cycling in from Jacksonville and back on all but the stormiest of days. Its much easier than you might imagine, and on a personal level it might be the biggest change we can make toward a healthier world. So, get on a new electric bike because its so much fun, AND because you know that every mile you ride lessens your impact on this one precious world that we have.
Regarding our move to a larger shop; finding the right space is taking longer than anticipated. So, as of this writing we’re still in the Hersey Street Business Park. I trust that a new home will be revealed soon. Rest assured that as we progress into our sixth year of selling electric bikes exclusively, we will continue to offer the best brands in the industry and back them up with the stellar service that has become our legacy here in town. Come “Ride the Future”… its here now!
