An EV will consume fewer fossil fuel resources than an infernal-combusted equivalent over its perhaps 10 to 20 year lifetime.
But most of the roughly 4 tonnes of CO2 it will generate just to come to market will be in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. And this bit matters more than the first.
Somewhat less fossil fuel is better than nothing. But we need to be heading towards *radically* less.
How shall we do that?
https://mastodon.social/@urlyman/116294326872514865
…FWIW, here are some thoughts:
Massively invest in electrified public transport and distribution systems, especially those for food. Use human power as much as possible for ‘last mile(s)’ delivery*.
Do this ahead of radically disincentivising private vehicle ownership. Make it progressively punitively expensive over relatively few years.
Massively incentivise producing the lightest vehicles possible.
*Other than our own bodies, the lightest, most efficient vehicle known to us is the bicycle
…At the same time, massively incentivise fewer food miles. Ramp up that pricing structure over as few years as possible at the same time as radically investing in community farming.
Somewhere in this mix commission content creators and broadcasters to produce rigorous but fun educational content that is honest about where we are…
Jonathan Schofield
Kim Spence-Jones 🇬🇧😷