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To put into context Gasoline cars emissions = 3e9 lbs = 1360777110 metric tons This implies USA per capita emissions from cars = 4 metric tons. Current total

To put into context Gasoline cars emissions = 3e9 lbs = 1360777110 metric tons This implies USA per capita emissions from cars = 4 metric tons. Current total USA per capita emissions is 14.86 tons. So reducing the car emissions by 75% (by switching to EV) will take total per capita emissions down to 11.8 tons. I believe the acceptable level of per capita emissions for the 1.5C target is 2.3 tons [1]. [1] https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/carbon-inequality-in-2030-per-capita-consumption-emissions-and-the-15c-goal-621305/ https://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/carbon-inequalit...

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glitchc 3y ago
Thank you, this makes more sense. It highlights the fact that switching everyone to driving EVs is not enough to counter climate change. We need to think about trucks too. In fact, switching all trucks to EVs is likely to have a bigger impact on our emissions targets. Ergo we should focus our energies here first.
- bryanlarsen 3y ago
  > Ergo we should focus our energies here first. No, we're out of time. We need to focus our energies on everything significant. That's electricity generation, transportation (both personal and commercial), heating and agriculture. Getting electricity to ~90% carbon free, switching heating from fossil fuels to heat pumps and switching personal transport to EV's are unique in that they are win-win -- they are cheaper than fossil fuels in the long run.
- Retric 3y ago
  Trucks are a poor fit for pure EV’s due to weight limitations and their usage patterns. Regenerative breaking really doesn’t hemp them much which is why gas electric hybrids never caught on. We’re much better off transferring large trucks to either in road charging or trains.
Retric 3y ago
That’s a massive underestimate as the manufacturer and transmission of gasoline produces massive quantities of CO2. Roughly 30% of total gasoline pollution comes before it enters your car. Making the total 12kg of CO2 per gallon of gas. https://innovationorigins.com/en/producing-gasoline-and-diesel-emits-more-co2-than-we-thought/ https://innovationorigins.com/en/producing-gasoline-and-dies... Also, electricity and thus EV’s has gotten a lot cleaner over time and that trend is continuing. US per capita emissions in 2004 were 9t oil, 7.4t coal, 4.1T natural gas, and 0.4t other. In 2021 that fell to 6.3t oil, 4.9t natural gas, and 3t coal keeping 0.4t other. https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-fuel https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-fuel The US grid effectively traded 4.4t of coal for 0.8t of natural gas + renewables. The specifics vary, but globally electricity is getting a lot cleaner per kWh which makes both manufacturing and use of EV’s less polluting over time. This is why people are pushing EV’s. Over their lifetime they don’t use todays grid they use todays grid and the grid that’s going to exist in 20+ years. Their infrastructure that scales with however green we can make the grid which will likely be very green in the future.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

glitchc 3y ago

Thank you, this makes more sense. It highlights the fact that switching everyone to driving EVs is not enough to counter climate change. We need to think about trucks too. In fact, switching all trucks to EVs is likely to have a bigger impact on our emissions targets. Ergo we should focus our energies here first.

bryanlarsen 3y ago
> Ergo we should focus our energies here first. No, we're out of time. We need to focus our energies on everything significant. That's electricity generation, transportation (both personal and commercial), heating and agriculture. Getting electricity to ~90% carbon free, switching heating from fossil fuels to heat pumps and switching personal transport to EV's are unique in that they are win-win -- they are cheaper than fossil fuels in the long run.
Retric 3y ago
Trucks are a poor fit for pure EV’s due to weight limitations and their usage patterns. Regenerative breaking really doesn’t hemp them much which is why gas electric hybrids never caught on. We’re much better off transferring large trucks to either in road charging or trains.

Retric 3y ago

That’s a massive underestimate as the manufacturer and transmission of gasoline produces massive quantities of CO2. Roughly 30% of total gasoline pollution comes before it enters your car. Making the total 12kg of CO2 per gallon of gas. https://innovationorigins.com/en/producing-gasoline-and-diesel-emits-more-co2-than-we-thought/ https://innovationorigins.com/en/producing-gasoline-and-dies... Also, electricity and thus EV’s has gotten a lot cleaner over time and that trend is continuing. US per capita emissions in 2004 were 9t oil, 7.4t coal, 4.1T natural gas, and 0.4t other. In 2021 that fell to 6.3t oil, 4.9t natural gas, and 3t coal keeping 0.4t other. https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-fuel https://ourworldindata.org/emissions-by-fuel The US grid effectively traded 4.4t of coal for 0.8t of natural gas + renewables. The specifics vary, but globally electricity is getting a lot cleaner per kWh which makes both manufacturing and use of EV’s less polluting over time. This is why people are pushing EV’s. Over their lifetime they don’t use todays grid they use todays grid and the grid that’s going to exist in 20+ years. Their infrastructure that scales with however green we can make the grid which will likely be very green in the future.