> For example, taking the bus on a route with high ridership is usually more environmentally friendly than an e-scooter.
To be precise, as an individual making a choice how to get somewhere, taking the bus on a route with low ridership is also environmentally friendly.
The decision to run the low-ridership bus on that route in the first place was not too environmentally friendly (unless it's a long-term play to build up the bus system), but that decision has already been made and the emissions are a sunk cost. If you get on a bus that's running anyway, the additional emissions are basically negligible.
Obviously what they're trying to analyze is averages across a population, and they're right about that. But don't let it make you feel bad about riding a low-ridership bus.
To be precise, as an individual making a choice how to get somewhere, taking the bus on a route with low ridership is also environmentally friendly.
The decision to run the low-ridership bus on that route in the first place was not too environmentally friendly (unless it's a long-term play to build up the bus system), but that decision has already been made and the emissions are a sunk cost. If you get on a bus that's running anyway, the additional emissions are basically negligible.
Obviously what they're trying to analyze is averages across a population, and they're right about that. But don't let it make you feel bad about riding a low-ridership bus.