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Solution to global warming
Solution to global warming
Global warming problem to solutions
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Electric Cars: An Alternative for Fossil Fuel Use
When the topic “climate change” comes to mind, we don’t often think about how we are contributing to the cause, but rather blame somebody else, or even the world for it. There’s something being done about climate change, since some countries are switching to renewable energy, like Sweden, Germany, etc., but if the top polluting countries aren’t doing something to contribute to the cause, then the other countries’ efforts are diminished. Even though climate change has been an ongoing issue for decades, Canadian journalist and activist, Naomi Klein discusses in her novel This Changes Everything that we have yet to realize its full impact “[a]s [early] as 2007, [when] climate change was something
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Most use gasoline-powered cars for transportation even though they emit a lot of carbon into the atmosphere; electric cars, on the other hand, are a …show more content…
population, a plug-in electric car will generate lower CO2 emissions than a gasoline-powered car capable of a combined fuel economy of 50 mpg, such as the Toyota Prius. Cities in this group included Portland, Oregon, San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City, and Salt Lake City, and the cleanest cities achieved wheel-to-wheel emissions. The study also found that for 37% of the population, the electric car emissions will fall in the range of a gasoline-powered car rated at a combined fuel economy between 41 to 50 MPG (miles per gallon), such as the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Lexus CT200h. Cities in this group include Phoenix, Arizona, Houston, Miami, Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia. An 18% of the population lives in areas where the power supply is more dependent on burning carbon, and emissions will be equivalent to a car rated at a combined fuel economy between the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Focus. This group includes Denver, Minneapolis, Saint Louis, Missouri, Detroit, and Oklahoma City. The study found that there are no regions in the U.S. where plug-in electric cars will have higher greenhouse gas emissions than the average new compact gasoline engine automobile, and the area with the dirtiest power supply produces CO2 emissions equivalent to a gasoline-powered car rated (Stenquist,
...about 300 miles (compared to the 70 miles of the first-generation EV1) . Environmentally, US air quality is worse than it was 20 years ago, and consumers have begun to notice. This will likely contribute to an increased demand for zero- and low-emissions vehicles. Legislation has once again been introduced providing tax incentives, rebates, and even free parking for purchasers of hybrid and electric vehicles. By 2005, over 200,000 hybrid vehicle rebates were cashed in the US, and this number continues to rise .
Electric Cars use the energy stored in a battery (or series of batteries) for vehicle propulsion. Electric motors provide a clean and safe alternative to the internal combustion engine. There are many pros and cons about electric cars. The electric vehicle is known to have faster acceleration. They produce no exhaust.
The U.S. Department of Energy projects that if a mere 10% of automobiles nationwide were powered by fuel cells, regulated air pllutants would be cut by one million tons a year and 60 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide would be eliminated. DOE projects that the same number of fuel cell cars would cut oil imports by 800,000 barrels a day which is about 13 percent of total imports.
Did you know that you can receive a maximum of a $7,500 tax credit for just owning an electric or hybrid vehicle? The United States government values citizens that buy fuel efficient vehicles because it gets the United States one step closer to not buying outsourced oil (Jones par.14). Hybrid vehicles are vehicles that are mostly powered by gasoline, but switch over to electric at stop signs or at coasting speeds. Electric cars are cars that are solely powered by electric from start up to shut down (Motavalli par. 6). Most cars and trucks on the road today are powered by gasoline or diesel engines, which are expensive to operate, bad for the environment, and use resources that are non renewable. To achieve better fuel economy, lower operation cost, reduce the pollution on the environment, and operate vehicles with renewable resources, this world needs to take a better look at using alternative fuels to power vehicles. Alternative fuels for motor vehicles are better for the environment, are renewable resource, and are cheaper for consumers.
The entire world contributes to the carbon emissions but there are ways we can use less gases to help decrease the amount we use. One way is carpooling. Carpooling can help decrease the amount of carbon emissions we make by having less cars on the road to make carbon emissions. Carpooling also saves you money. Other ways are using alternative fuel sources. Some alternative fuel sources are biodiesel, ethanol, hydrogen etc. There are also cars that use other things like electricity or less fuel. These can be cheaper than just petroleum and less harmful to the environment. “HEVs [hybrid electric vehicle] typically achieve better fuel economy and have lower fuel costs than similar conventional vehicles. For example, the 2016 Honda Civic Hybrid has an EPA combined city-and-highway fuel economy estimate of 45 miles per gallon, while the estimate for the conventional 2015 Civic (four cylinder, automatic) is 35 miles per gallon” afdc. In this day and age we are getting better at carbon emissions and fuel usage but we have a long way to go to achieve almost no carbon emissions, if that will ever
Not spending money on gas for the rest of your life is a huge selling point for many people. The problem is that recharging your car takes so long that sometimes it is not even worth it. Electric cars are also very good for our environment. Electric cars can help the environment by not emitting harmful gases and hurt our atmosphere in any way.
I bet you didn't know that the first cars made were all mostly electric. But as time passed gas powered cars became more popular through the years. There were few if any electric cars available as timed moved on. Everyone believed that gas powered vehicles were more convenient than the electric powered ones. I believe that gas powered vehicles are better because gas powered cars have more function ability. The range that electric vehicles have is poor compared to gas vehicles. Electric vehicles don't function very well when the weather is cold. You'll need to charge your car pretty much every night. You are only going to be able to go 80 mph. If you go up a big hill your range goes down. electric vehicles (rather ev's) do pollute but they don't pollute the same way that gas cars pollute.
The future American commuter will undoubtedly have to transition from the use of fossil fuels to new alternatives due to the diminishing availability of the nation’s oil resources. How will America respond to this upcoming issue? It is difficult to predict which alternative fuel source America will ultimately choose, but with the premier of Nissan’s electric powered Leaf and other companies; such as Tesla Motors and Chevy, with their electric cars ready for market, the electric car may be winning the race to become the new standard for the gasoline alternative. Electric cars resolve long standing environmental issues, but it will need to maneuver around many roadblocks to become a marketable consideration for the general public. The cost of electric cars, currently on the market, makes them an impractical purchase for the average consumer. If cost is not the growing concern in today’s economy which prevents the consumer from considering this option; they may deny the technological advance due to battery storage capabilities and the inadequate infrastructure in place to refuel and provide for them.
Depends on Where You Plug In”, Paul Stenquist (2012) illustrates that electric cars can release greenhouse gases or can not because it depends on how the electricity that is used to recharge the cars was generated from. According to Stenquist (2012) if the electric cars are recharged by the electricity that is generated from renewable energy like nuclear and solar power, the cars would have zero for carbon footprint. Also the electricity that is generated from natural gas that would produce carbon less than coal. Carbon footprint is the total amount of gas carbon dioxide, one of the greenhouse gases, that the cars release or spend. The author also gives an example to show how charging electric cars at Denver and California are different in amount of carbon footprints. Reports from EPA and U.C.S. are used by Stenquist (2012) to support that the carbon footprints that the cars made are different depend on the sources of electricity that recharge the cars. However, the chief excusive of Nissan at that time declared that it does not matter what is the electricity that recharge the cars generated from, electric cars are still better in the way that can reduce emission than the best of gasoline car model can
Purchasing a car is one of the hugest or biggest accomplishments that a person can achieve on their own. However, what happens when that purchase turns out to also be the worst decision that was ever made? The purchase was a success and a goal was achieved, but the moment the key is turned and the engine is started the contribution to environmental harm begins. As the car is driven, the gasoline fumes that are released from the car contribute to the other many factors and pollutants that damage the environment. Not only is the purchase now a contributor to the depletion of clean air, but it could also play a part in the depletion of someone’s health. For example, asthma or bronchitis could develop in an adult or child as a direct result of breathing in noxious automotive fumes. Depending on where one lives, there could be strict regulations on air pollution. One must be accountable for any and all contributions made to the demise of what was once a healthy Earth. One must be accountable for his or her own carbon footprint. Some individuals have taken steps to reduce their carbon footprints and cause less harm to the environment by purchasing electric cars.
The substantial increase in the demand for EV’s came just in time as we are slowly but surely running out of oil. Some estimate that by the year 2040, 35 percent of all vehicles will be electric (Sullins, 2017). An article from the U.S. Department of Energy stated that “Electric vehicles hold a lot of potential for helping the U.S. create a more sustainable future. If the U.S. transitioned all the light-duty vehicles to hybrids or plug-in electric vehicles, we could reduce our dependence on foreign oil by 30-60 percent, while lowering the carbon pollution from the transportation sector by as much as 20 percent (energy.gov, 2014). It’s obvious that gas-powered vehicles have harmed our planet with their emissions. Although EV’s cannot reverse that damage that has been done, they can eliminate, or at least slow down, the inevitable demise that our planet is headed towards. Along with the beneficial environmental factors that correspond with electric cars, there are also beneficial financial factors. The average American spends about $2,000 on gas annually. In the future, charging stations will charge roughly $12.00 for a full charge, which is about 300 miles. This means that the average American will save about $1,400 per year on these specific car
Before we look at the effects of electric cars on climate change we will look at what is climate change and why it is a problem. Climate change is currently happening all around us it is caused when carbon dioxide methane and water vapor trap Infrared light in the atmosphere. This causes a greenhouse effect which is when heat comes in and cannot get out and thus bounces around heating up the planet. This is problematic because it will lead to ice caps melting and a warming planet. This could cause crop failure, droughts, and crazy weather patterns.
In this case study I will be discussing advantages and disadvantages of electric cars. Electric cars are cars that are powered by electricity. Electric vehicles are an important part of cutting emissions and reducing global warming. The battery of an electric car stores electrical energy. The electric motor is coupled to the wheels through gears; it converts 59-60% of electrical energy into the wheels. The battery runs the motor which allows the car to move. Electric cars are necessary as they will save money, because electricity is cheaper than gas. Also electric vehicles will help reduce global warming and pollution. However, some people say that electric cars still have environmental costs. The electricity used to recharge EV batteries has to come from somewhere in the world, and now, most electricity is generated by burning fossil fuels. Although electric vehicles are classified as green cars, purists will not appreciate the toxicity of the batteries.
Environmentally Friendly Electric vehicles are today’s zero-emission vehicles. They have no tailpipes and emit no pollutants. Instead of gasoline from oil refineries, electric vehicles get their “fuel” from electric power stations. Although power plants using fossil fuels do have emissions, power plant emissions generated for electric vehicle use are typically much lower than emissions from the comparable use of gasoline-powered cars. For power plants using renewable energy sources like wind, solar and hydropower, no air pollution is created.
Electric cars were recently introduced to the auto world. They are very fuel efficient while still having all the practicalities of a regular car. They are quiet and have zero emissions. They also are cheaper to maintain and cheaper to own then a gas powered car. Even though car enthusiasts dislike the idea of going fully electric, it is a very conscientious choice. Electric cars might seem like a useless form of transportation, but they offer features that help keep the Earth clean.