Electric Bicycles, for Better and for Worse: For those, like me, trying to become car-free, electric bicycles would seem to be an important part of the solution. But China seems destined to wreck this green technology opportunity as well: Whereas a ……

The writer (unidentified) states that China is “dumping” shoddy electric bicycles on the American market. Nothing could be further from the truth. The vast majority of the factories that produce the scooter-type e-bikes (SSEB’s) are local operations catering to nearby markets. This is because transporting them to distant markets within China would make the selling price noncompetitive, which is always a very important consideration to the average Chinese citizen. These e-bikes come in a wide range of quality catering to various domestic price points.

The low quality, made for low end domestic consumption, e-bikes are exported only because importers bring them in because of the cheap prices. The fault lies not with the Chinese who need to address all domestic market price points, but with greedy importers who exploit both them and people here to whom they are sold. If consumers here took the time to check into the background of companies selling them here they would be less likely to buy the junk SSEB’s and those selling them would quickly turn to some other get-rich-quick market to exploit. Unfortunately when we stopped teaching Latin in schools we tossed a myriad of expressions that linked how people lived in Roman times with how we live now, showing that some things do not change. One of these expressions that is good to keep in mind is “caveat emptor”, “buyer beware”.

The writer implies that the pedals furnished with the SSEB’s are there only to skirt the law. The fact is that they are there to comply with the law. We investigated this thoroughly years ago when the law transferring jurisdiction over low-speed electric bicycles was transferred from the NHTSA to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. We were assured by CPSC personnel who, after reviewing the specifications for our products and recommending minor changes, that we would be, and are, in compliance with the CPSC regulations (16 CFR Part 1512 (b)).

It is gratifying, nevertheless, that the write acknowledges that there are good quality SSEB’s and other e-bikes available, but in the $2,000 price range, which ours are. It does not matter where a product is made, what is important are how it is made and for whom it is made.

James Wood
Veloteq
Houston

What evidence do you have that Jan Lundberg, Matthew Savinar, Alex Smith, Carolyn Baker and Richard Heinberg are all 9/11 conspiracy supporters?

I happen to know Jan and Carolyn pretty well, and they have *never* mentioned such beliefs to me in any of our extensive communications. Maybe you just feel the need to tar everyone with the same brush in order to satisfy your own belief that anyone who doesn’t toe a particular party line is a “moonbat”. Life isn’t as simple as you would like to think it is – I personally believe that for a group to carry out such a remarkable feat of navigation, security evasion and guaranteed symbolic (as well as physical) destruction, then conveniently leave pilot manuals in a van in Arabic, is a belief too far on the other side.

I have no idea who did it, but it didn’t half kick-start a major defense spending round that completely dwarfs anything that might be spent on trying to prevent climate change. The system willingly enslaves millions (billions) to ensure economic growth…go figure.

This is an unforgivable error.

The man propagated and sold-for-profit the mind-numbingly stupid idea that “nine eleven was an inside job” (sorry, he doesn’t simply get to “walk away” from this without at least a very public and detailed apology).

Shame on him.

And shame on you for giving him any kind of positive press.

He deserves no press whatsoever.

Why the Peak Community (such as it is) insists on lending credence to and giving refuge to all manner of nine-eleven, conspiradroid moonbats (Jan Lundberg, Matthew Savinar, Alex Smith, Carolyn Baker, Richard Heinberg, and far-too-many others) will forever be beyond me.

It’s as counterproductive as it is offensive.

To the best of my knowledge, Jim Kunstler is the only — THE ONLY — “peakster” with enough moral integrity to call these folks what the are, “fucking brain damaged” (not to mention snake-oil opportunists).

Rafael