Climate change is irrefutable. We see the impacts of climate change in the news on almost a daily basis. However, no one can agree on how we tackle climate change.
In 2021, US Special Envoy on Climate Change, John Kerry stated that “50% of carbon emissions reductions will need by 2050 will have to come from new technology.” A core element to this, is the belief that much of this new technology will focus on the transport sector – one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses globally.
In 2017, 27 % of total EU-28 greenhouse gas emissions came from the transport sector. This is reflected in the US, where in 2019, transportation accounted for about 29% of their total greenhouse gas emissions, making it the largest contributor of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Also in the US, the largest sources of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions include passenger cars, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and light-duty trucks.
It is therefore unsurprising that electric cars have become a focal point in our collective efforts to tackle climate change. Some manufacturers go as far as to boast that electric vehicles have no carbon footprint – helping you minimize your personal carbon footprint. And as electric cars become more mainstream, the costs are dropping rapidly and there are a wide variety of benefits for drivers making the switch, such as avoiding congestion charges.
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Whilst the expansion of electric vehicles is exciting – and needed – electric vehicles can also provide a lesson in greenwashing. Whilst some electric cars may run on clean, green electricity – driving an electric vehicle is not in itself beneficial to the environment. This is because there is still a huge carbon cost to producing, shipping and maintaining an electric car.
An electric car will end up producing one-third of the lifetime emissions of a petrol car. This is still a huge drop, but once you consider that car ownership and driving is going up in many regions of the world, along with a trend for bigger cars – it really is not as beneficial as we think it is. Against a backdrop of car advertisements that push the link between driving a car and environmentalism, one could be forgiven for believing that simply driving a car is the equivalent of planting a tree.
Most journeys are very short. In a UK government survey in 2020, 25% of trips were under 1 mile, and 71% under 5 miles. However, almost a fifth of journeys under 1 mile and roughly two thirds of journeys under five miles were made by car. To put into perspective, a half mile walk and a two mile journey by bike both take around 10 minutes. Although they are the greener choices, many people are opting to jump in a car – a trend that may only increase if we are to believe that electric vehicles are good for the environment.
Ultimately, the scaling up of electric vehicles needs to be coupled with encouraging active travel to really have any meaningful drop in emissions. So whilst councils add charging points to their pavements, they need to also make those pavements wider to ensure walking is more pleasant, improve cycling infrastructure and protect green spaces. In short, we need a more pragmatic approach to greening transport rather than continuing to treat electric vehicles as a silver bullet to domestic transportation emissions.
Source: Ahshea1 Media
On a final note, we are led to believe that taking the environmental choice is the hard choice. It means cycling through the rain, spending hours sorting the recycling, and eating more boring food. This is far from the truth. You might be led to believe that you will be drifting through dramatic landscapes in your car, but more likely, you will be sitting in traffic. Often the more environmental choice is not only the easiest and most effective, but it can bring us the most joy. However wonderful your electric vehicle might be, it will simply never be as environmental nor as enjoyable as walking a mile. Therefore, you might as well bite that silver bullet, and leave the car at home.
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