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It turns out the same was true for internal combustion engines all along.
by standardUser 7y ago
It turns out the same was true for internal combustion engines all along.
- jacquesm 7y agoActually, no. Given the state of the tech at the time and our knowledge about pollution and the effects of various types of exhaust gases on the atmosphere it wasn't true 'all along'. There were levels of vehicle use that were perfectly acceptable. But now that transportation is a world wide commodity instead of a luxury those effects are inescapable. So there was some point in time where the balance shifted, and then it took a long time for the reality to set in (and some part of the world are still in denial). And it will take some time still to shift to electrical vehicles, but those too have their own waste and risks, some of which will only become apparent when their adoption rate crosses certain thresholds. Crystal balls are in short supply.
- lovemenot 7y agoYour parent comment was transparently using hindsight (it turns out). No crystal ball needed.
- pier25 7y agoPeople usually think cars are the biggest sources of emissions but it's not even close. All transportation (car, planes, trains, etc) represent 14% of global emissions. Globally the biggest source of emissions is energy production which represents about 35% (25% of direct emissions and 10% of processes like refining fuel). https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data#Sector https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emiss... So, I doubt emissions from ICE cars would be as bad as widespread nuclear residues from nuclear cars.
- barney54 7y agoWhat do you mean by “emissions”? GHG emissions? Pollution emissions?
- pier25 7y agoSorry, I thought it was obvious I meant GHG emissions.
- Tempest1981 7y agoI think this was posted/referenced recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1EB1zsxW0k Gates interview on energy
- pier25 7y agoNice video. Yeah, energy production, storage, and consumption is really the fundamental problem to solve. For example Vlacav Smil has said many times that the US should invest heavily in home insulation to reduce heating and AC energy.
- anoncake 7y agoICEs don't pose much of a risk. The damage they cause is predictable.
- tathougies 7y agoElectricity required combustion to produce at the time, and still does today. Battery waste is also not neglible, and battery mining is as dirty as oil.
- tathougies 7y agoElectricity required combustion to produce at the time, and still does today. Battery waste is also not negligible, and battery mining is as dirty as oil.