Author: Muhammed Ishtiaque (Page 1 of 9)

INTRODUCTION:

Global warming today is a worldwide concern, and carbon emission is the top reason behind it. What creates this unwanted and harmful emission? The answer is our cars, trucks, and buses we see around us every single day. Carbon emission from vehicles is one of the top factors of global warming. Luckily, this issue has already been addressed through the development of electric cars due its “zero carbon emission”. But how true is this statement? Are electric cars really as green as automobile industries claim them to be?

BODY 1:

Today, the popular belief is that electric cars have zero carbon emissions, therefore it does not harm the environment. This claim isn’t entirely true. Yes, the electric vehicle itself can have zero carbon emissions, however, taking a look at the surrounding factors, switching to electric vehicles will increase the need for electricity. This means more electricity needs to be generated. This is where it gets interesting, majority of the US still depends on traditional coal and fossil burning methods to generate electricity. In the process of which a huge amount of carbon is released into the atmosphere. So, if there is a bigger need for electricity, it will result in more burning of these natural resources which will significantly increase the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. This is one of the biggest reasons why electric cars aren’t completely environmentally friendly just yet.

 BODY 2:

According to the article, How Green are Electric Vehicles? By Hiroko Tabuchi and Brad Plumer, the problem just doesn’t stop at current production. Manufacturing the raw materials that go into the making of an electric vehicle can be problematic as well. Like most other batteries, the lithium-ion batteries that are used to power electric vehicles are manufactured using raw materials like cobalt, lithium, and other rare elements. The article claims that these rare elements have been linked to environmental and human rights concerns. Extracting these materials such as cobalt, through a process called smelting gives off toxic fumes, more specifically sulfur oxide which is very harmful to the environment and people who are exposed to it. World’s 70% of cobalt is produced in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where children work in the mines to dig up metals from the earth using just hands. This is serious human rights violation.

 BODY 3:

While it is true that electric cars actually have zero carbon emissions from the car itself, it still doesn’t make the whole concept of having electric cars environmentally friendly for the reasons stated above. This entire idea is brilliant but feels unfinished. However, the fix to it is not untouchable either. The solution is simply generating electricity through renewable sources. According to the article, How Does Your State Make Electricity? By Nadja Popovich and Brad Plumer, recent data shows that more than half of California’s electricity was produced from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and water. If more and more states in the United States, switch to this greener method of producing electricity and combine that with the uprising of electric vehicles, we may see a significant reduction in carbon emissions.

The issue with batteries, however, still remains a concern. Since producing the batteries are so harmful, until we find an alternate material that can switch out metals like cobalt, we can simply rely on the good ol’ recycling method. Recycling old batteries and using the same materials to produce new batteries can really change the game.

 CONCLUSION:

To summarize it all, this essay did not intent to tear down the idea of electric vehicles but point out ways the idea can have more integrity. Because if it isn’t achieving what it is supposed to achieve then what is the point of it at all? The idea of electric vehicles is awesome! If the automobile industry work on the areas that needs more attention, we can truly see a future with real environmental friendly vehicles.

WORK CITED

Popovich, N., & Plumer, B. (2020, October 28). How Does Your State Make Electricity? The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/10/28/climate/how-electricity-generation-changed-in-your-state-election.html.

Tabuchi, H., & Plumer, B. (2021, March 2). How Green Are Electric Vehicles. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html.