After seeing such posts now for
years, they just make me smile and chuckle. I especially like this aspect of such posts "for your huggie/touchie my car eats rainbows and poops butterflies", ...oh yeah! THAT is vintage.
Let's start with one aspect that is really, really simple; imported energy.
Your petroleum powered vehicle runs on a fuel that we simply don't have in abundance here in the good 'ole USA. I mean, we used to be the world's largest producer of petroleum. Heck, the Japanese attacked us at Pearl Harbor because we pulled an "oil embargo" on them (kinda like the Saudis did on us in 1973).
But... those days are long, long gone. Most of that U.S. of A. oil is still floating around as carbon dioxide or helped make the ocean more acidic.
So... even if I use 100% coal to run my Volt, I still don't have to import one stinking drop of petroleum from overseas when I'm running on electricity (which will be most of the time for me).
Now... you raise a good issue, carbon.
Here in Iowa, we traditionally have gotten 85% of our electricity from Wyoming coal. Although, this year, Iowa topped 20% of our electricity from good 'ole U.S. of A. wind that will basically never run out as long as our sun keeps shining. My contract for my home's electricity is 100% renewable only. I'll grant you that it is hard to separate the coal electrons from the wind electrons, but, at least I'm spending my electric bill money to keep on building more and more wind electricity.
Let me see... as long as I'm driving straight diesel, I'm absolutely tied 100% to all fossil fuels and the carbon that goes with it.
With my Chevy Volt, I'm already swapping out 20% of that fossil fuel energy for totally renewable wind energy. And... if I want, I can easily put up my own solar array to produce 100% of my energy right here at my home. It'll produce during the peak load time during daylight hours (if you work for an electric utility, then you know how precious peak load electricity is). At night, when demand can be as much as 40% less than at peak, I'll be charging my Volt from some of that wind energy from night time wind.
Since electric drive vehicles charge at night, you do understand that there is a lot of grid capacity available at that time... yes?
So... imported energy? Chevy Volt wins!
... carbon? Already wins on 20% or more and climbing, right this very minute.
The next 10 years for diesels? Lots of imported energy and all carbon.
The next 10 years for the Volt? Virtually no imported energy and way less carbon year by year by year.
But... gotta love that wording "huggie/touchie my car eats rainbows and poops butterflies"! Thanks! Haven't had such a good laugh for a while!
Oh... and one more thing. I encourage you not to assume that no one knows where electricity comes from. There are such people that don't, but not every one. It isn't THAT hard to understand. Really. I'm sorry you have such a low opinion of your fellow human beings. For myself, I'm a degreed engineer that worked for GM for 17 years. I get it. I know where electricity comes from. Do you know where our oil comes from and what we have done to ensure its continued flow? Got any idea what the impact there is to our economy to spend so much of our money to import oil? Carbon is important ...but it is not the only thing that is important.
Just my 2 cents.
