The Surprise Cost of Non-Polluting Electric Vehicles

CDsDontBurn · Mar 12, 2008, 05:34 PM

Full of promises about saving the Earth and conserving energy, could automakers and visionaries be missing one big thing?

Even though automakers and environmentalists are pushing new electric and hybrid electric cars, claiming less pollution to make our Mother Earth unhappy with our wasteful ways, it seems they come with demons of their own. Well, maybe not so much.

Source: Daily Tech

Al_Vampyre · Mar 12, 2008, 06:21 PM

Oh god, here we go again, this whole environmental thing is quickly becoming man's ultimate arrogance.

It's being abused by almost every major government to make us pay more taxes, ironically its even being spun to make us buy 'greener' goods when rampant consumerism is touted as one of the biggest causes of the environmental issues.

I hate to be fatalistic about it but it doesn't make a blind bit of difference, the earth is approaching the end of a cyclically occurring ice-age, and there is nothing that we can do to stop that. The fact than mankind's entire existence has occurred during this phase of the planet's life and that we, therefore, must have something to do with the changes is arrogant beyond belief. In the short term we may have accelerated the process but all we have done is bring the end a little nearer, universal (in the true sense of the word) forces are at work here, and if anyone thinks that saving 1W of electricity by switching off their cell charger when they are not using it is going to make a difference they are seriously deluded.

Mankind will not be here in another 10,000 years regardless of what action we take (or don't take) and the cycle of life will begin all over again. If the circumstances that brought about human existence occur again then maybe there will be creatures just like us in a few million years but then again, maybe not.

We are not destroying the planet, but the planet will eventually destroy us...

[hobo]eclipse · Mar 12, 2008, 07:01 PM

well wouldn't turning so much water into steam help the global warming flooding situation, ya know, keep the water out of our coastal regions?

BlueMak · Mar 12, 2008, 08:06 PM

Exactly why the human race will disappear in another 10,000 years?

Al_Vampyre · Mar 13, 2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueMak

Exactly why the human race will disappear in another 10,000 years?

Sorry I was on my high horse when I wrote that one, 10,000 years was just an example figure not a calendar claim. The point I was making was that as the natural cycle continues, after a length of time human life will become unsustainable on this planet. Sorry for the confusion!

Matth · Mar 13, 2008, 11:49 PM

The basic fact with electric cars, they are only as green as the energy used to charge them, they are non-polluting at point of use which may help with city air quality, but larger scale electric traction would tend to be more efficient (trains/trams).

Hydrogen, unless some crackpot method of generating it ever proves to be viable, will always be an inefficient and dangerous for of energy storage, rather than an energy source.

Mar 12, 2008, 05:34 PM	#1
CDsDontBurn 127.0.0.1 Join Date: May 2003 Location: Southern California Posts: 22,458 Rep Power: 202 System Specs	The Surprise Cost of Non-Polluting Electric Vehicles Full of promises about saving the Earth and conserving energy, could automakers and visionaries be missing one big thing? Even though automakers and environmentalists are pushing new electric and hybrid electric cars, claiming less pollution to make our Mother Earth unhappy with our wasteful ways, it seems they come with demons of their own. Well, maybe not so much. Source: Daily Tech __________________ Her First Day \| A year later

Mar 12, 2008, 06:21 PM	#2
Al_Vampyre HardwareHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 1,532 Rep Power: 71 System Specs	Oh god, here we go again, this whole environmental thing is quickly becoming man's ultimate arrogance. It's being abused by almost every major government to make us pay more taxes, ironically its even being spun to make us buy 'greener' goods when rampant consumerism is touted as one of the biggest causes of the environmental issues. I hate to be fatalistic about it but it doesn't make a blind bit of difference, the earth is approaching the end of a cyclically occurring ice-age, and there is nothing that we can do to stop that. The fact than mankind's entire existence has occurred during this phase of the planet's life and that we, therefore, must have something to do with the changes is arrogant beyond belief. In the short term we may have accelerated the process but all we have done is bring the end a little nearer, universal (in the true sense of the word) forces are at work here, and if anyone thinks that saving 1W of electricity by switching off their cell charger when they are not using it is going to make a difference they are seriously deluded. Mankind will not be here in another 10,000 years regardless of what action we take (or don't take) and the cycle of life will begin all over again. If the circumstances that brought about human existence occur again then maybe there will be creatures just like us in a few million years but then again, maybe not. We are not destroying the planet, but the planet will eventually destroy us... __________________ "Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad" - Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland Rugby Team 2009 Grand Slam winning Captain.

Mar 12, 2008, 08:06 PM	#4
BlueMak HH's Asteroids' Dominator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hellas->Macedonia->Thessaloniki Posts: 13,248 Rep Power: 328 System Specs	Exactly why the human race will disappear in another 10,000 years? __________________ The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm *Sic semper tyrannis.*

Mar 13, 2008, 11:49 PM	#6
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,411 Rep Power: 91 System Specs	The basic fact with electric cars, they are only as green as the energy used to charge them, they are non-polluting at point of use which may help with city air quality, but larger scale electric traction would tend to be more efficient (trains/trams). Hydrogen, unless some crackpot method of generating it ever proves to be viable, will always be an inefficient and dangerous for of energy storage, rather than an energy source. __________________ Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead Now Mary takes her lamb to school, Between two crusts of bread

Mar 12, 2008, 07:01 PM	#3
[hobo]eclipse ...just bummin 'round Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 2,897 Rep Power: 107 System Specs	well wouldn't turning so much water into steam help the global warming flooding situation, ya know, keep the water out of our coastal regions?