This week we read about resource dilemmas and were asked to give steps in pro-environmental behavior in the discussion post. The article, Electric Cars: Powering the Future, discusses the cost of electric vehicles, displays a visual of why they are better for the environment, and how it is economically friendly in all aspects. As I discussed in my post, making these systems more affordable can decrease motor vehicle usage. I chose this article because I know that electric cars are better for the environment and do not run on oil, which is excellent for this resource dilemma problem with oil.
Moorhouse and Laufenberg (2010) state that an electric vehicle may appear cleaner than a gasoline vehicle when looking at the operation stage, but this is not the case. Electricity for electric vehicles must come from a source that might be a coal plant, and the batteries may have unique environmental impacts that a gasoline vehicle would not. This is interesting because I did not consider electric vehicles’ harmful effects. Electric vehicles may be more detrimental to the future, but they are better than gasoline vehicles. However, gasoline vehicles are a much better alternative for the environment and the resource dilemma for oil.
It is imperative to save oil. Regarding economic and ecological advantages and costs, oil and gas conservation refers to their better and more efficient use, which results in greater energy use efficiency, less waste, and environmental preservation. One way to preserve the environment is by encouraging people to have remote jobs and take the metro with hundreds of people, versus everyone driving their cars and burning fossil fuels.
The article also summarizes how the quality of the environment would be much cleaner and reduce air pollution. Electric vehicles emit fewer pollutants than gasoline vehicles and support the economy and environment, which is the overall goal and what is most important. Furthermore, Moorhouse and Laufenberg (2010) included an excellent visual graph showing the most economically friendly vehicle. It shows that electric vehicles are the solution to air quality concerns and to the consumption of oil.
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This whole debate between gasoline and electric cars in quite relevant nowadays, and in many ways I do also think electric cars are superior to gasoline cars for sustainability due to their low carbon emissions and natural gas consumption. I also think it’s only natural that the production of an electric vehicle would have harmful side effects, as any form of commercial production would likely cause the same effects, including the side effects when producing a gasoline vehicle. I do agree that public transportation is an effective way to help reduce carbon emissions and natural gas consumption, but I find the feasibility of it problematic. Private vehicle ownership is deeply ingrained in US culture, and much of the infrastructure is built to accommodate this lifestyle, and over 90% Americans own a private vehicle, among which 60% own a second one (Sham, 2022). I think it is doubtful that Americans are willing to give up the convenience of a private vehicle in a infrastructure around it. However, data does show a significant decrease in private vehicle carbon emissions starting from 2020, which is when the pandemic was instated, so I think your idea of encouraging remote work is already proven to be effective reducing the use of fossil fuels (Tiseo, 2022).
References:
Ian Tiseo, & 21, J. (2022, June 21). U.S. passenger car GHG emissions 1990-2020. Statista. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1235091/us-passenger-car-ghg-emissions-by-vehicle-type/
Sham, J. (n.d.). Car ownership statistics. Bankrate. Retrieved September 19, 2022, from https://www.bankrate.com/insurance/car/car-ownership-statistics/