03/12/2021
Some very important questions here I’m sure many have never even thought about
Are electric cars really better for the environment? I’m talking about the entirety of the sweeping change that’s coming. Clearly an individual EV emits fewer hydrocarbons than a gasoline or diesel vehicle, and I’ve read articles on that subject—but have never seen a larger analysis of the wholesale changes that must be made to accommodate an EV society. Here are the subjects I’d like to see addressed:
- The biggie: the mining and manufacturing to create EV batteries
- The impact of the eventual disposal of those batteries
- The manufacturing and disposal of all the charging equipment, which will certainly change as often as mobile phone products
- The environmental impact of upgrading any electrical grids that cannot at present handle the increased demand
- What’s the environmental impact of the manufacturing and installation of new power generating stations that presumably will be required as the demand for electricity goes up, and to eliminate the currently environment-negative power stations?
- Globally, how much more coal be burned to increase electrical capacity?
- As solar panels increase in popularity, what’s the impact of increased manufacturing and disposal?
- As the government continues to mandate reduction of gasoline and demand goes down, we must consider the environmental impact of disposing of many gas stations, and then of the construction of new buildings that will occupy the real estate.
- Government mandates against ICE vehicles and gasoline will drive up gasoline prices and increase demand for EVs, therefore causing early retirement of ICE vehicles, increasing the emissions related to the higher-than-natural volume of those cars being disposed.
- The demand for parts from ICE vehicles will be reduced, leading to less reuse of parts out of salvage yards, leading to more recycling. Recycling is not net-neutral environmentally.
- What’s the environmental impact of the manufacturing and discharge of whatever new chemicals need to be created to extinguish EV fires?
We also have to accept that gasoline and diesel will not be entirely eliminated, so the refineries are not going to all of a sudden return to a natural state. Therefore, the environmental impact of all the electric-car infrastructure is cumulative, not a complete replacement of the gasoline infrastructure.
This seems like the ultimate NIMBY delusion to me, but I’m willing to be wrong. Got data? Share links.
(And this does not even address the economic debacle or the massive inconveniences that are coming.)
