Electric vehicles no magic bullet
I am getting so frustrated with politician et al who see the electrification of vehicles as the panacea for all the climate woes which have beset our lovely blue planet.
There is no national strategy for the production or support of electric vehicles and continued climate degradation caused by mining, charging, energy consumption for manufacturing and end of life disposal of battery technology. Electric vehicles do not operate pollution free as the electricity has to come from somewhere. The proponents say well hydro electric power is clean and non-polluting. True at first glance for B.C. and a very few other places around the world but look at the carbon footprint that dam construction creates.
Then there is the emergency backup electrical generation required to supplement the short fall in hydro generated power. This back up electrical generation is most likely to be fossil fuel intensive so where’s the pollution reduction?
Climate change is plainly showing us that we cannot depend on the climate patterns we have been accustomed to for hundreds of years to continue. Lack of rainfall on the west coast of North America is a clear sign that hydro electric power generating capacity in B.C. could be adversely impacted, thus as our demand for power to charge electric vehicles increases we will have to use sources that create more greenhouse gases.
We need to push our political leaders for a better climate plan than just electric cars and as individuals we need to look at our own activities and the ways we can each reduce our carbon footprint. Consider why you need to fly around the world, or drive hundreds of kilometres to go camping or participate in high fossil fuel consuming sports for your next holiday. The high temperatures we endured this summer may well become the norm.
Mike Wilkinson
Duncan