Hi Joe! Great piece. I own two Teslas and 39 roof solar panels that power two basement wall batteries. I have been driving my cars on sunlight for two years now and my electricity bill was zero last month, mostly because I sell any energy I don’t use back to the grid at wholesale rates and those have been going up since inflation.
I don’t know about the macro-economics of the impact of electric vehicles on a global scale, but I can tell you from the data that my household runs on significantly less fossil fuels now than five years ago when I was driving gas-powered vehicles.
I think it's worth exploring the question: "What is the responsibility of the affluent upper-middle class and wealthy in converting their (at their own expense) into carbon-neutral and carbon-positive eco-systems?"
I think it's one of the most measure against mitigating the negative impacts of corporations and industry on our collective response to mitigating climate change.
While I always want people to make responsible choices, I hesitate to say it's a "responsibility." I think we need to move away from understanding climate change as caused by consumer choices, and instead recognize that it is a consequence of how we have structured our society.
For example, if someone was deciding between buying a Tesla and a gas car, I would strongly encourage them to buy a Tesla. But, I think the real solution is increasing our levels of public transportation so that more people can get by without a car.
Oh, I totally agree on public transportation. I'm from Ohio, where we'd drive to the bathroom and up the stairs, if we could. Solving this problem will require macro-solutions at every level of Government and Industry and it will require micro-solutions where those who own homes and vehicles are incentivized, encouraged, and (when necessary) mandated to practice energy consumption and usage behaviors aligned to the greater good of our local environments.
What about the emissions generated in building the ICE vehicles? I don't see that in your article or in CNETs. Or does building a steel and aluminum engine generate none?
It really depends on the car. During research, I found everything from 6 tons of CO2 (sedan) up to 35 tons for something like a Land Rover, which TBH isn't that big (at least, compared to something like a F350). There's so much variance in their production, as well as the median Tesla/EVs use, that it really reinforces the notion we can't rely on the auto industry to solve its own emission problem.
Hi Joe! Great piece. I own two Teslas and 39 roof solar panels that power two basement wall batteries. I have been driving my cars on sunlight for two years now and my electricity bill was zero last month, mostly because I sell any energy I don’t use back to the grid at wholesale rates and those have been going up since inflation.
I don’t know about the macro-economics of the impact of electric vehicles on a global scale, but I can tell you from the data that my household runs on significantly less fossil fuels now than five years ago when I was driving gas-powered vehicles.
I still use gas in my tractor though :)
That's awesome! Yea, I think it's for-certain that your usage is definitely environmentally-friendly, lol.
I think it's worth exploring the question: "What is the responsibility of the affluent upper-middle class and wealthy in converting their (at their own expense) into carbon-neutral and carbon-positive eco-systems?"
I think it's one of the most measure against mitigating the negative impacts of corporations and industry on our collective response to mitigating climate change.
While I always want people to make responsible choices, I hesitate to say it's a "responsibility." I think we need to move away from understanding climate change as caused by consumer choices, and instead recognize that it is a consequence of how we have structured our society.
For example, if someone was deciding between buying a Tesla and a gas car, I would strongly encourage them to buy a Tesla. But, I think the real solution is increasing our levels of public transportation so that more people can get by without a car.
Oh, I totally agree on public transportation. I'm from Ohio, where we'd drive to the bathroom and up the stairs, if we could. Solving this problem will require macro-solutions at every level of Government and Industry and it will require micro-solutions where those who own homes and vehicles are incentivized, encouraged, and (when necessary) mandated to practice energy consumption and usage behaviors aligned to the greater good of our local environments.
Totally agree.
What about the emissions generated in building the ICE vehicles? I don't see that in your article or in CNETs. Or does building a steel and aluminum engine generate none?
It really depends on the car. During research, I found everything from 6 tons of CO2 (sedan) up to 35 tons for something like a Land Rover, which TBH isn't that big (at least, compared to something like a F350). There's so much variance in their production, as well as the median Tesla/EVs use, that it really reinforces the notion we can't rely on the auto industry to solve its own emission problem.