UTSA is a school that prides itself on technological advances, especially in its sustainability; however, the faculty chooses to mainly promote the use of electric scooters on campus even though they are damaging to the environment.
Opting to push its bike share program or even implementing more bikes on campus would be beneficial not only to students and staff but the overall health of the planet.
Despite being energy efficient, electric scooters are still less sustainable than bikes. Regular pedal bikes and even electric bikes have lower environmental impacts than electric scooters. Scooters use lithium batteries and the extraction process alone often results in environmental degradation, water depletion and contamination.
From spilling toxins into the earth and into the air, it is not worth it. The process also has huge socio-economic impacts and raises serious human rights questions in communities where mining takes place. Just because it is happening in another country does not mean people with money and power can ignore it like it does not affect everyone.
While one could argue that being cost-efficient is the most important, it is hypocritical for a university that has its own office for sustainability and prides itself on lowering its carbon footprint to prioritize comfortability over its morals.
Even though the university has not put a lot out there about their scooters’ sustainability, there are still things they can do differently if they want to continue championing their technology forward goals. Solar charging docking stations for example is a great way to use clean and renewable energy to recharge and could also help in the distribution of scooters.
In the department’s statements, it says that they are always looking for ways to improve this technology and durability which is a step in the right direction. Even if scooters seem like a more convenient solution for alternative transportation, they still contradict what UTSA is trying to convey. By shifting attention to pedal and maybe even electric bikes, UTSA could more effectively align its transportation with its sustainability agenda. While the university is in the early stages of its environmental journey, it could still consider taking steps to expand and collect data. Prioritizing long-term environmental health over short-term convenience is not an inconvenience.
