The problem is that we should have been leading 20+ years ago when we weren’t in an environmental crisis like we are now. Now we are trying to lead while recovering from a global pandemic that bankrupted our government and during a cost of living crisis as a result.
Governments get together for these climate summits year after year and agree to do better but then just sit around making minimal changes. And then all fly home in their private jets.
The thing about EVs being dirtier than ICE cars: this is true - but with an asterisk. The asterisk being that the first generations of any technology are almost always worse, inefficient, etc. while the underlying technology is in its infancy. With improvements in R&D, the production and lifetime of electric cars (and other vehicles) could be much cleaner. But there needs to be cash to fund the R&D. Governments should be incentivizing manufacturers to prioritize R&D of cleaner batteries and production infrastructures. On top of that, EVs need to sell better. The issue there is that in order to get everybody on board there has to be consumer incentive and currently there isn’t a whole lot. It has to look better than what the current norm is. And for EVs it just doesn’t and I feel like that’s because our government has sat on its backside rather than pushing forward with infrastructure. It’s also governments not working with manufacturers to get EV prices down and make them more attractive. You can’t take away incentives while adoption is still slow.
Our leaders also being driven around in gas powered vehicles with 5.0L V8s, surrounded by multiple escort vehicles - all gas powered too. So our leaders aren’t even invested in EVs? What message does that send?
EVs aren’t going to fix everything though. They’re a relatively small part of what needs to change and not enough is changing at a larger level. Huge corporations pumping co2 into the air all day long and get minimal fines for doing it and given stupidly long targets to bring levels down or outright exemptions because “reasons”. No. They’ve got by for long enough avoiding the issue.
Same story with renewable energy. Not enough is being done to push this forward. As I recall, the Conservatives dismantled Labour’s plans to build a bunch of nuclear plants back in I think 2008. I’m not in support of any party; they’re all pretty much useless at this point but that would have been a great (and clean) help to the country over the last few years.
Then we have recycling. I was told the other day that in some councils, they don’t even collect food waste! It’s all just dumped in the landfills with everything else to produce more methane. Guess what that eventually becomes. Why are these initiatives not consistent and mostly treated like afterthoughts?
If you watch any of David Attenborough’s current documentaries, you will notice a distinct change in his attitude since 10+ years ago. He doesn’t have a very good poker face and you can see he is tired of showing the world what we are doing to the planet only for us to go right back to what we were doing before.
Ah but it’s all OK because Elon Musk and NASA will find us a new planet to destroy 👍
Tl:dr : our governments are useless and that’s why your EV sucks, costs too much and isn’t helping to combat climate change yet.
