In USA Today! Check it --> Electric car benefits? Just myths
I wanted to comment, but you need a Facebook account to post comments on USA Today articles, and I have no desire to be on FB. So... I'll post it here.
This article is just full of lies and omissions. The big lie is the one of "coal powered cars". Lomborg barely even hints that our grid power is produced from anything other than coal-fired power plants. Here in the USA, coal has gone below 50% of our grid power a few years ago, and it is still falling -- displaced largely by natural gas. Solar is a very small percentage, but is growing rapidly since economics have shifted in its favor. Personally, I see many reasons to phase out coal completely, quite beyond its CO2 emissions. We should be getting rid of it, rather than merely "cleaning coal up".
Past studies have shown that even an electric car charged from 100% coal-fired power would come out ahead of a comparable gas car in terms of emissions, due to the electric's greater efficiency. I'm curious why the results are suddenly coming out different now?
There's also a blind spot in terms of other reasons to favor electric cars. We have concerns over global oil depletion, and we have security concerns over the regions much of the world's oil production is sourced from. These concerns are not mentioned, presumably because they don't serve the author's agenda.
What makes this particularly disappointing is that I have, in the past, been something of a fan of Mr. Lomborg. I read his book, "Cool It!", and I thought it was refreshing to see some calculated cost/benefit analysis of various mitigation policies, with regard to climate change. However, that analysis needs to be done honestly and without an axe to grind. This opinion piece doesn't appear to pass that test.
I wanted to comment, but you need a Facebook account to post comments on USA Today articles, and I have no desire to be on FB. So... I'll post it here.
This article is just full of lies and omissions. The big lie is the one of "coal powered cars". Lomborg barely even hints that our grid power is produced from anything other than coal-fired power plants. Here in the USA, coal has gone below 50% of our grid power a few years ago, and it is still falling -- displaced largely by natural gas. Solar is a very small percentage, but is growing rapidly since economics have shifted in its favor. Personally, I see many reasons to phase out coal completely, quite beyond its CO2 emissions. We should be getting rid of it, rather than merely "cleaning coal up".
Past studies have shown that even an electric car charged from 100% coal-fired power would come out ahead of a comparable gas car in terms of emissions, due to the electric's greater efficiency. I'm curious why the results are suddenly coming out different now?
There's also a blind spot in terms of other reasons to favor electric cars. We have concerns over global oil depletion, and we have security concerns over the regions much of the world's oil production is sourced from. These concerns are not mentioned, presumably because they don't serve the author's agenda.
What makes this particularly disappointing is that I have, in the past, been something of a fan of Mr. Lomborg. I read his book, "Cool It!", and I thought it was refreshing to see some calculated cost/benefit analysis of various mitigation policies, with regard to climate change. However, that analysis needs to be done honestly and without an axe to grind. This opinion piece doesn't appear to pass that test.
