The last ten years have seen a massive increase in energy generated by renewables. Last year the capacity for renewables surpassed that of fossil fuels for the first time in the UK. And that capacity is only going to increase.
So no, they’re not pointless.
Agreed on diesels, but not on electrics.
The infrastructure and capacity for them is ballooning
Yes they are. Especially when you need new batteries after 10 years- lithium mining isn’t exactly clean.
Hydrogen is the way.
The vast majority of lithium comes from natural water sources (Salars), which only requires natural evaporation. Not unlike how we get salt. This process also gives you magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium, which are also useful.
Only a small percentage of lithium is actually mined.
First the lithium brine is pumped up from underground sources. Then it has to be transported around the world.
Hydrogen is everywhere and electrolysis is very efficient.
And that pumping is turning geothermal.
I’m sure hydrogen will end up being the way to go, but to say going electric is pointless is incorrect. It’s an environmental as well as economic stepping stone.
To be clear, I’m not saying that the technology for E-cars is bad. But to justify it as the clean alternative is just plain wrong. And that’s the current narrative.
If everyone suddenly buys electric cars, the grid simply won’t be able to cope and renewables won’t be able to make up the for the increased demand. Nuclear could, but that’s a whole different argument.
Just saw your post whilst writing @Jules and yes, electric is perhaps a stepping stone, but should therefore be treated as one.
I think it is treated appropriately. Having a transit system that is electric based is far superior environmentally to a petroleum based system. It is by very definition the cleaner alternative.
That doesn’t mean it’s without its faults. But it will be better than what we have.
The real issue here is that electric cars are not yet at a point where they’re cheap enough to buy new or used.
I do roughly 25k miles a year, my current hack is a 2005 Volvo S60 diesel. Until somebody can come to me with something with as low running costs as this I’ll always go diesel, its not friendly for the environment but its what suits my pocket. From purely an environmental point of view we try to do other stuff to offset this but at the end of the day it all comes down to practicality and cost.
I reckon this is bollocks… This government always do this they told people a few fucking years back to get diesel now they want them scrapped nothing is gonna change maybe at a push diesel will be gone but petrol won’t be. They shout from the rooftops they will do something and force people into looking doing something then they won’t bother and they leave you in the shit and out of pocket. You watch they will say we aren’t quite there yet with infrastructure we were too premature in this.
Think logically on this the government make huge money off petrol why will they boycott all that tax utter bullshit!!
Hydrogen is the way to go for the future, but it isn’t there yet. BMW and Honda are going big on hydrogen but it’ll be about 5 years until we hear anything major about that.
Storing hydrogen in the fuel cells is still a challenge, and so is the safety aspect.
No matter what, electric power is still more environmentally friendly than fossil fuel use.
Slightly off thread but more infrastructure being put in place for proper cycle lanes would help this country out.
Something a bit more than a dotted line for a hundred yards then being thrown into the general mash up would be appreciated here.