There is a great push by governments, environmentalists, and car manufacturers to use electric vehicles instead of petrol and diesel cars. The argument is that electric cars produce no emissions and, consequently, will help reduce air pollution.
On the surface, this is true. However, studies show that if we replace every petrol and diesel car worldwide with an electric vehicle, there will be no significant change in air pollution globally. There are two reasons for that.
Firstly, the more electric cars we have, the more electricity we need to generate to charge them. More than 80 per cent of electricity worldwide is generated using fossil fuels. This translates to more emissions from producing additional electricity, offsetting the gains from using electric cars.
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Secondly, every electric car has a massive battery weighing from 1,000 to 4,000 pounds, depending on the type of vehicle. This means that we need more materials obtained from mining, with a smaller portion produced by recycling. Both mining and recycling operations create pollution.
The mining and refining industries are among the most polluting operations. These activities pollute the air and contaminate the soil and underground water.
The effects of mining and refining operations are evident close to home, as seen in the Mount Polley mine disaster in B.C.’s Cariboo region in 2014, which had a profound ecological impact on the environment. Similarly, mining and refining activities in Alberta have been disastrous, significantly impacting the soil and underground water in a vast area of the province.
This does not imply that we should not use electric cars. The choice of a vehicle is a personal decision. Unfortunately, using an electric car alone will not effectively reduce pollution unless we find a way to generate electricity without relying on fossil fuels.
The only viable option on a global scale to produce electricity that can meet our requirements is nuclear energy, which also has problems, such as radioactive contamination.
Hess Arminian
Sooke