Over
the years, I’ve tried to put together essays and such that dove
into things like the environment… climate change, recycling, and,
simply put, just the overall need for awareness and action when
it comes to treating the planet better.
While
some of the efforts reached a point where I was ready to post
the finished work, I have hardly ever felt as though I completely
connected with the material and expressed my thoughts. Most of
it is decent and I still agree with almost all of my initial premises,
I just have this inner voice telling me something is missing here
or doesn’t seem fully developed there.
So…
at it again. This is the second of three that will be posted together.
The idea is to take observations and realities, combine it with
sarcasm and cynicism, and hopefully find myself satisfied with
the result.
Above
all, let me be clear: On the whole, we treat the planet horrendously.
We’re awful. I truly believe we could make massive waves of improvements
to the environment if all of us simply learned the proper use
of a waste basket and getting trash to it. (Wrappers belong in
a bin, folks, not tossed to the roadside from the window of a
moving car.)
We
aren’t just capable of doing better, we need to do better, and
we
need to do better NOW.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
You
may have heard that there are places getting ready to clamp down
on the sale of gas-powered engines, such as lawn mowers and other
yardwork equipment. California is one such location.
And
this is where I begin to swirl thoughts into muddy ideas about
the environmental debate.
If
I got into any car considered environmentally friendly right now…
any car you wished to provide… most would stop our journey after
about three hundred miles. There are some estimated at over three
to four hundred miles of range, but almost every one of them costs
more than one-hundred-thousand dollars.
So,
if I want to drive from Maine to Florida, I would need to divide
it into stages. Drive, stop, charge, wait, repeat.
This
is not offered up for a debate, but instead to set the stage for
a reality of sorts. Because, for the most basic of reasons, the
majority of us are simply not in a position to purchase zero emission
vehicles. But it’s more than that, because those same vehicles
are also: (1) Not yet at a performance level that covers all scenarios,
and, (2) are only zero emission based on how you ask the question
and view the answers.
(Hold
on. Only environmentally friendly based on how you interpret the
material? Bob, you’ve lost it. To which I respond, well…)
The
materials and processes used to manufacture the vehicles can be
incredibly intensive and sometimes hazardous. Consider the batteries,
where lithium and cobalt can harm water supplies and give off
toxic byproducts.
Oh…
and those batteries happen to be the primary difference between
how gas and electric vehicles are built. So, in just the build,
it can be more harmful to get an electric vehicle off the assembly
line.
Also,
at this very moment most electrical grids are powered by fossil
fuels. That means charging the vehicle does have associated emissions
for these supposedly non-emission vehicles. Unless you don’t recharge
it, which means you spent one hundred thousand dollars for a driveway
sculpture. (That’ll make a statement open for interpretations.)
A
few moments ago, I said this isn’t up for debate. Why? In part
because it’s the facts. But also because things will improve.
The process of making parts and delivering the cars will get better.
Vehicle costs will come down. Driving range and other elements
of performance will strengthen. And, even the ways electrical
grids are powered will become more environmentally friendly.
My
question is how far away are those improvements? And, a follow-up,
if I may: Are some elements of this being addressed at a similar
pace so we’ll get the entire program together?
Outlawing
the sale of gas-powered motors in the next year or two or five
is wonderful, in theory. But those of us that can’t afford a vehicle
that costs about as much as a house will have troubles. Those
of us that can’t replace the contents of our shed at one time
may experience a few hurdles. And, when I do make the purchase,
I’d really like to know that charging stations and options will
be available wherever I go. (At least Maine to Florida.)
And
if you think that the big companies will work it out, think again.
You
know those high gas prices?
Obviously,
the companies making products that offer alternatives to gas use
are thrilled by the anger and frustrations created by high gas
prices. It creates awareness and desires for their products, if
for no other reason than increasing the numbers asking questions
about them.
But
from the reports out there, it seems as though the oil companies
are reporting record profits in recent months. They don’t seem
to be too bothered by the high prices either.
In
other words, the only people hurting right now are those with
no alternatives but to go to the pumps. The opposing sides seem
content to let the situation ride.
It’s
the items and ideas that aren’t being reported that concern me
the most, usually. The advancements and demands for better ways
are necessary, but they don’t always line up with the imperfections
and realities of our surroundings.
~ ~
~ ~ ~
The
other parts:
“My
interests in water: A global climate review, part one”
“Take
a breath, make a difference, and contribute to the solutions:
A global climate review, part three”