In another round of questionable Republican Science, one GOPers’, Ed Orcutt (R-Kalama), comments about a new Washington-state bike tax shows complete lack of common sense and knowledge of basic science.
The sales tax, included in a proposed transportation bill, would create a disincentive to the use of a transportation mode that does little to no damage to streets or the climate for a small amount of revenue.
Washington state lawmaker Ed Orcutt, bike tax supporter, stated in an email to a constituent that bikes are unhealthy and bad for the environment, showing a complete lack of understanding of basic science but a keen understanding of human physiology. “… a cyclist has an increased heart rate and respiration,” he said. “That means that the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is deemed to be a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride.”
When pressed by media outlets further, Orcutt stated that you would be “giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving in a car.”
Ashley Wright is a writer and researcher with Ring of Fire.
