Stephen Kaledecker was psyched when he was promoted in December to regional manager at the hotel chain where he works – but his enthusiasm cratered when gas prices started to skyrocket after the US-Israeli conflict with Iran began earlier this year.
Tailpipe CO2 emissions are indeed only a fraction of the problem with ICE cars. EVs still cause CO2 emissions from production, maintenance, and especially infrastructure, in addition to being just as dangerous, noisy, and socially disruptive as an ICE car.
Further, if they are cheaper to operate, the Jevons Paradox means that we’ll end up using more total energy for EVs than we currently do for ICE vehicles, with all of the knock-on effects of pollution and environmental destruction wrought by automobile-oriented land use. That environmental destruction also drives climate change, and the Antheopocene mass extinction currently in progress.
Tailpipe CO2 emissions are indeed only a fraction of the problem with ICE cars. EVs still cause CO2 emissions from production, maintenance, and especially infrastructure, in addition to being just as dangerous, noisy, and socially disruptive as an ICE car.
Further, if they are cheaper to operate, the Jevons Paradox means that we’ll end up using more total energy for EVs than we currently do for ICE vehicles, with all of the knock-on effects of pollution and environmental destruction wrought by automobile-oriented land use. That environmental destruction also drives climate change, and the Antheopocene mass extinction currently in progress.