Lately all we seem to hear about is electric cars (or EVs), saving the planet by cutting down emissions and all that other stuff.
But is it the answer?
In fact, building a battery pack for an EV is
incredibly energy-intensive, and it takes significant mileage before the
EV has worked off the CO2 released during its manufacture.
At the moment there is a big problem with mining for Lithium in Portugal, in January 2020, a map began circulating among the various
WhatsApp and Facebook groups set up by concerned residents. The map, put together by a local software developer specialising in
cartography, appeared to confirm their worst fears. A tapestry of
geometric shapes spread across the country’s interior, abutting
designated nature reserves. A series of local and national protests,
including a march
in Lisbon last year, sought to raise awareness about the impacts of
modern mining on the natural environment, including potential
industrial-scale habitat destruction, chemical contamination and noise
pollution, as well as high levels of water consumption. They also raised
concerns about the impact on tourism – an economic mainstay for the
country’s interior, with an annual turnover of €18.4bn in 2019.
Apparantly the same problem is happening in Chile.
The urgency in getting a lithium supply has unleashed a mining boom,
and the race for “white oil” threatens to cause damage to the natural
environment wherever it is found. But because they are helping to drive
down emissions, the mining companies have EU environmental policy on
their side.
“There’s
a fundamental question behind all this about the model of consumption
and production that we now have, which is simply not sustainable. Everyone having an electric vehicle means an enormous
amount of mining, refining and all the polluting activities that come
with it.”
In
addition, they will play little part in cleaning up toxic air which
plagues our cities and towns. Particulate matter is one of the greatest
threats to human health, with no safe levels. And research shows that
45% of it has been attributed to tyre and brake wear in London.
Furthermore, they will not make our streets safer, less congested or
more attractive places to move around.
The problem of the length of time it takes to recharge the battery is an issue also. It can be anything from 10-15 hours, so unless it is a hybrid then if you have an emergency don´t expect to jump in the electric car and go!
Rather
than focusing on EVs, the governments should be doing everything it can
to shift people away from driving, to healthy, clean alternatives such
as walking and cycling for shorter journeys. This is the best way to
reach a zero-carbon future.
All governments need to put an end to
building more roads for cars and instead make walking and cycling the
easiest and most convenient options for more people. Pedestrians and
people on cycles should have priority and networks of protected cycle
lanes on main roads should be the norm so that everyone feels more
confident travelling around.
Travelling around in big cities should be made by introducing more public transport at a really good price, we went to Prague last year and found the tram system to be really efficient, cheap and clean. I am sure there are many more cities like this one! There were very few cars in the city centre which can only be better for the health of everyone!
I suppose that in the long run then maybe electric cars are better than petrol/diesel ones, but at the moment the high cost of buying one, the amount of energy needed to produce one, along with the use of electricity (powered by conventional fossil fuels) outweighs the positive effects.
The blog song for today is:" Dazed and Confused" by Led Zepellin.
TTFN
