“Slow and satisfying” might become my business slogan for pedicabbing. That’s probably better than “It’s the wave of the future, IF we’re lucky.” Or I can modify the H.G. Wells quote : “Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race.”
I envision hundreds of thousands or millions of human-powered vehicles. In Charlotte, NC, there are 4 or 5 passenger-pedaller vehicles. Can’t seem to Google their business name. But one designated operator steers and maybe does most of the propulsion while as many as four passengers help.
Well, anyway, as for pedicabbing, it’s inspiring on many levels, one of them being that human-powered machines might improve our prospects for quality of life during the 21 Century and beyond, not only in regards to transport, but in other pursuits such as food production, and constructing built environments. I’d like to think I’m for wind and solar, but as the years wear on, it seems a pipe-dream. Would love to be wrong.
Human-powered systems might be more feasible than resource-intensive, high energy ones, which unfortunately include wind and solar, especially the latter. Contrary to what detractors of the ecology movement might say about human-hating, quinoa-eating, godless vegans, societies might reduce the instances of, if not avoid, reverting to human enslavement because of gaining an enhanced perspective on physical labor that comes from the animal liberation movement.
Animal rights poses the question. If we wouldn’t do it to a human, why are we ok with doing it to other animals whose nervous systems are similar to our own ? But that logic can be applied in the other direction. If societies were to outgrow enslaving animals, would it make moral sense to do it to human beings ?
A good thing about human labor is that we can consent to it for financial, ecological, or other reasons. But our non-human brothers and sisters can’t.
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