Electric cars are better, on balance, than ICE cars. But...
Well, take a look at this first. Then we'll talk more about my But down below.
___________________________
The urgency of climate change requires electrifying the 278 million personal vehicles plying American roadways as quickly as we can. After all, EVs are far more climate-friendly than equivalent gas-powered models because they eliminate the tailpipe emissions that warm the planet and pollute the air. Better yet, EVs are simply fun to drive: Most models are quicker and quieter than your average gas car.
However, that is not the full story.
EVs also produce emissions beyond what spews from their tailpipe. Like all cars, their tires are constantly rubbing against pavement, releasing particulates that float through the air and leach into waterways, damaging human health and wildlife. New EV models tend to be heavier and quicker — generating more particulates and deepening the danger.
In other words, EVs have a tire-pollution problem, and one that is poised to get worse as America begins to adopt electric cars en masse. None of this is inevitable. EVs don’t need to be so massive and lightning-fast — these are choices that the auto industry has made. All of us will pay the price.
As a form of microplastics, tire pollution hits wildlife hard: Compounds that settle on the ground gradually leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water. One study concluded that tires could be responsible for as much as 28% of the microplastics in global oceans.
The smallest tire particles, measured in mere nanometers, can enter our lungs and spread to our organs. Various tire components have been linked to chronic conditions including respiratory problems, kidney damage, neurological damage, and birth defects — a particular concern in neighborhoods adjacent to highways, whose residents skew low-income and minority.
___________________________
FULL ARTICLE -- https://archive.li/jrMWK#selection-819.0-831.1
Anyway, so we agree, EVs are basically better than ICE cars.
BUT — as you've seen, they have their own problems. And do we really need to still have 300 million cars clogging our roads, posing a threat to cyclists and pedestrians and basic sanity?
For me, the answer is No.
I say public transit is better. Bicycles are better. Walking is better.
Because the very BEST car is no car at all!
#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #Pollution #WarOnCars #BanCars
Bread and Circuses /
npub1ej…qh8ya
2023-08-02 18:00:01
Author Public Key
npub1ejy6zuevge09258k79qc2exy9l3gafu02thsfj7pfgf3c67q6peqvqh8yaPublished at
2023-08-02 18:00:01Event JSON
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"content": "Electric cars are better, on balance, than ICE cars. But...\n\nWell, take a look at this first. Then we'll talk more about my But down below.\n___________________________\n\nThe urgency of climate change requires electrifying the 278 million personal vehicles plying American roadways as quickly as we can. After all, EVs are far more climate-friendly than equivalent gas-powered models because they eliminate the tailpipe emissions that warm the planet and pollute the air. Better yet, EVs are simply fun to drive: Most models are quicker and quieter than your average gas car.\n\nHowever, that is not the full story. \n\nEVs also produce emissions beyond what spews from their tailpipe. Like all cars, their tires are constantly rubbing against pavement, releasing particulates that float through the air and leach into waterways, damaging human health and wildlife. New EV models tend to be heavier and quicker — generating more particulates and deepening the danger. \n\nIn other words, EVs have a tire-pollution problem, and one that is poised to get worse as America begins to adopt electric cars en masse. None of this is inevitable. EVs don’t need to be so massive and lightning-fast — these are choices that the auto industry has made. All of us will pay the price.\n\nAs a form of microplastics, tire pollution hits wildlife hard: Compounds that settle on the ground gradually leach toxic chemicals into the soil and water. One study concluded that tires could be responsible for as much as 28% of the microplastics in global oceans. \n\nThe smallest tire particles, measured in mere nanometers, can enter our lungs and spread to our organs. Various tire components have been linked to chronic conditions including respiratory problems, kidney damage, neurological damage, and birth defects — a particular concern in neighborhoods adjacent to highways, whose residents skew low-income and minority.\n___________________________\n\nFULL ARTICLE -- https://archive.li/jrMWK#selection-819.0-831.1\n\nAnyway, so we agree, EVs are basically better than ICE cars.\n\nBUT — as you've seen, they have their own problems. And do we really need to still have 300 million cars clogging our roads, posing a threat to cyclists and pedestrians and basic sanity?\n\nFor me, the answer is No.\n\nI say public transit is better. Bicycles are better. Walking is better. \n\nBecause the very BEST car is no car at all!\n\n#Environment #Climate #ClimateChange #Pollution #WarOnCars #BanCars",
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