Why do we do things?

I’m frustrated. We seem to be locked into a path of self-destruction. Folks jump on this bandwagon or that, and because it ‘feels right’ or because our betters tell us it’s the right thing to do. we simply follow blindly without thinking through the result.

Case in point

Electrification of the transportation fleet. That means, turn all cars, trucks, buses, and trains into electric vehicles. We are moving headlong into his new electric world, without thinking through the ramifications. The goal appears to be to make the world pollution free. Fair enough. However have we really thought through the process.

A study done by Volvo has shown that to have the carbon footprint of the average EV be better than the average ICE, it must be on the road at least eight years.  Since the average life of a vehicle is 10 years, well, we get only about 2 years of benefit from the EV. This study takes into consideration the mining of rare earth for batteries, the manufacturing and disposal of same, the generation of electricity to charge the vehicle, and of course all the various materials and activities that go into the manufacture.

But that aside, just what are we doing to our citizens in the meantime. The current government at the federal and most state levels is on a campaign to make EVs popular and ICE vehicles unaffordable. Mostly through increasing the cost of fuel for ICE. It is not an accident that gasoline and natural gas prices have doubled in the past year or so. The policies of our government have caused it.  They freely admit this is the case.

A quote from our Transportation Secretary tells the tale. “If gas prices are high, buy and electric car.”

We know of course that EV’s are more expensive than ICE vehicles. High gas prices and costs of cars don’t affect those who have the resources to pay an extra $20 or $30 to full up, or when they drive off the showroom floor. The rest of us, not so much.

Rather than allow the free market to set the price of gas, we seem to be going out of our way to make it as expensive as possible.

In addition, the headlong race into changing how we drive, heat our homes, cook our food, seems to also be affecting our ability to maintain our freedom in an ever dangerous world. Rather than be energy independent, we have decided to rely on our enemies for oil (can you say Iran or Venezuela) and are now in a position to have to plead with the OPEC countries to increase their production. In addition, the current war in the Ukraine is being funded by energy purchases by the west from Russia.

I’m agnostic on the green movement. I’m sure there are reasons, and some good ones, to be concerned about our environment. My frustration, however, is that we can’t seem to get it right.

Why not continue to use fossil fuels whilst and at the same time, as the Brits would say, move realistically into an EV world. Spend the time necessary getting the infrastructure in place to handle an electric world. Rather than force electric vehicles on the populace, why not take the time to get to the point where they are truly environmentally sound, cost effective for the average person, and let the world truly understand the costs involved.

For instance. People think that EVs today are virtually free to charge. Will that be the case in 20 years when the drivers have to pay for the increased power generation and the infrastructure required to move it to your vehicle. It is possible that $2.50 a gallon gasoline will look cheap in comparison. Has anyone done those numbers?

The cost of everything is reflected in the cost of fuel. The cost of food, clothing, houses, cars, literally everything we buy is affected by the cost of fuel. If may ‘feel right’ to Stephen Colbert, who makes $75 million a year, to pay ‘a few bucks extra for gas’ – he drives a Tesla – but for the rest of us, the cost of milk, eggs and lettuce is through the roof. Why do we simply follow blindly the elites who seem to think they know better than we do?

Just sayin

JVH