Study Finds EVs Better than a Renewable Energy Standard

According to research conducted by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, EVs are better than a national renewable energy standard at reducing emissions and cutting oil imports. The study shows that replacing fossil fuel powered cars with EVs in the US would have a better result than imposing renewable energy quotas.

The study says: “The single most effective way to reduce US oil demand and foreign imports would be an aggressive campaign to launch electric vehicles into the automotive fleet.”

The US Carbon Management Policy study concludes that if 30 percent of all vehicles were electric by 2050, that would cut US oil use by 2.5 million barrels a day and cut emissions by 7 percent. A national mandate for renewable energy would cut emissions by only half that amount (4%) over the same period.

This Research also found that a carbon tax would actually end up being more costly in the long run and would not impact oil imports in any significant way.

Government support for EVs is important and so is renewable energy to power those cars. However, renewable energy is not a panacea in the short term. As we transition to green energy, renewables can operate alongside cleaner fossil fuels like natural gas. We can also achieve reduced energy demand through greater reliance on public transportation and more efficient building practices including retrofits.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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A New Survey Shows that Americans Now Want to Address Climate Change

According to a new Yale survey, the vast majority of Americans now believe addressing global warming should be a top priority for Congress and the Obama administration. The survey indicated that 71 percent of Americans now think that tackling climate change should be high on the agenda. This is an improvement over the last couple of years when it was not considered a high priority.

Support for clean energy is almost unanimous with 91 percent of Americans saying that "developing sources of clean energy should be a very high (32%), high (35%), or medium (24%) priority for the president and Congress, including 97 percent of Democrats, 89 percent of Independents, and 85 percent of Republicans."

Americans want their government to invest in the effort to curb global warming. Despite ongoing concerns about the economy, 67 percent of Americans say the US should undertake a large (29%) or medium-scale effort (38%) to reduce global warming, even if it has large or moderate economic costs. These results could be interpreted as support for ending oil subsidies.

The business community should also take note as 65 percent of Americans want more action to address global warming from corporations. Their is a growing awareness of the relationship between the environment the economy and jobs. 82 percent of Americans (including 94% of Democrats, 74% of Independents, and 76% of Republicans) say that protecting the environment either improves economic growth and provides new jobs (56%), or has no effect (26%). Only 18 percent say environmental protection reduces economic growth and costs jobs.

Americans indicate the want more renewable energy even if it costs more. The study indicates that 68 percent of Americans support requiring electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources, even if it costs the average household an extra $100 a year, including 82 percent of Democrats, 64 percent of Independents, and 58 percent of Republicans.

The study shows that Americans support more research funding as indicated by the fact that 84 percent of Americans support funding more research into renewable energy sources, including 90 percent of Democrats, 81 percent of Independents, and 81 percent of Republicans.

More than half of Americans want to see more action from Congress to address global warming. This should cause Republican lawmakers who frown on support for renewable energy to take note as their ongoing obstructionism could prove politically fatal.

With the exception of the finding that 68 percent of Americans want more gas and oil drilling, this is a very positive report for the environment. This survey breathes new hope into the possibility of passing US energy and climate change legislation if President Obama succeeds in winning a second term.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Global Wind Day 2011

Global Wind Day is an event designed to raise worldwide awareness of wind energy. The day is celebrated each year on June 15, with thousands of public events in the US and countries around the world. It is a day for discovering wind, its power and the possibilities it holds to change our world. It is also a day for discovery of the work that has already begun by pioneers around the world.

In more than 75 countries around the world, wind farms are in operation, generating energy from a clean and renewable source. Global Wind Day is the day when you can visit wind farms, meet experts, attend events and find out everything you want to know about wind energy.

The European Wind Energy Association - EWEA - and the Global Wind Energy Council - GWEC - coordinate the Global Wind Day through a network of partners. The day started as a European one in 2007 and went Global in 2009.

Wind power is one of the leading energy solutions to climate change. Wind power is also a smart investment that pays off today and in the future. Wind energy provides good jobs with long-term potential. It's also a way to increase our energy independence from foreign countries and reduce our personal and collective carbon footprint.

Last year more than 220 events were organised in 30 countries all around the globe (see the 2010 report). For more information go to Global Wind Day.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Electric Vehicles Increasingly Competitive

The adoption rate of electric vehicles (EVs) is a corollary of market forces. EVs must be able to compete with traditional vehicles. EVs may have a higher sticker price then traditional vehicles but they compensate with lower operating costs.

Electric cars do not need gas and they do not require maintenance like air filters and oil changes. Driving 120 miles in a gas engine car costs at least $13.50. The electricity needed to power an electric car 120 miles costs $2.20.

Mass production will bring down up front costs and as oil becomes more expensive, battery technologies like lithium-ion will be more competitive.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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GM CEO Calls for Gas Tax Rather than a Fuel Efficiency Mandate

In a June 2011 interview in Detroit News, General Motors CEO Dan Akerson said his company and his industry would be helped, not hurt, if consumers paid higher gas taxes. He suggested that a $1 a gallon increase in the gas tax is a way to encourage buyers to purchase more fuel efficient cars.

The current federal gas tax is only 18.4 cents a gallon, but Akerson said that he would not be opposed to an immediate 50-cent-a-gallon increase to take advantage of recent declines in gas prices. Although he concedes that this would probably make some of his Republican friends "puke," it would do more to help the environment than a federal government mandate of of 60 MPG.

Paul Ballew, chief economist at insurer Nationwide who was formerly a director of sales analysis at GM, said it's always been clear within the auto industry that given the choice between tougher fuel economy standards and higher gas prices, the latter is a better deal for the automakers.

However, it is very unlikely that Republican lawmakers would support such a move. "They're not going to get it though, because that would take a lot of sanity in Washington and we're not going to see that," Ballew said.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Americans Want Cars to get 60 MPG

According to a survey released on May 16, 2011, a solid majority of Americans want vehicles that are much more fuel efficient. The Consumer Federation of America (CFA) said its survey of 2,000 Americans found strong support for a government mandate of 60 miles a gallon by 2025. As reported in USA Today, “Cars would cost more, but respondents said they'd be willing to pay more as long as the higher purchase costs could be recouped in gas savings in 5 years.”

“Concern about volatile gasoline prices and support for higher standards is driven by the huge and rising bite gas expenditures are taking from household budgets—from less than $2000 in 2009 to more than $3000 this year,” said Mark Cooper, CFA’s research director and energy expert in a press release. “Pain at the pump, along with the country’s oil import dependence, has produced a growing consensus that the federal government should substantially increase fuel economy standards.”

CFA received the data from a poll by Opinion Research Corp, which shows that “62 percent of Americans support a federal mandate requiring automakers to meet a 60 mpg standard by 2025, a proposal the Obama administration is considering,” reports the Detroit News. “The fuel efficiency mandate already is scheduled to rise to 35 mpg by 2016 from 27.5 mpg for cars today.”

Government mandates will push automakers towards greener more fuel efficient vehicles like hybrids and fully electric cars. All the major automakers are already launching hybrid vehicles and fully electric cars are sure to follow. According to the CFA study, the general public appears to welcome the move. "We're talking about changing the trajectory of consumption," Cooper said. "The consumer is ready."

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Assessing the Environmental Impact of Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Production

Although electric and hybrid cars create more carbon emissions during their production than standard vehicles, they are still greener overall. This is one of the findings in a report prepared by Ricardo1for, in collaboration with the membership of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership that includes major vehicle manufacturers and oil companies.

The increased emissions created during the production of electric and hybrid vehicles is further compounded by disposal issues. However, overall electric and hybrid vehicles still have lower carbon footprints than fossil fuel powered vehicles.


“This work dispels the myth that low carbon vehicles simply displace emissions from the exhaust to other sources. However, it does highlight the need to look at reducing carbon emissions from vehicles throughout their lifecycle,” said Greg Archer, LowCVP Managing Director.

A 2008 study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions, which include emissions from both manufacturing and operating a vehicle, are 32 percent less from plug-in hybrids than from gasoline-powered cars.

Approximately three quarters of the carbon created in production is attributable to the steel used in vehicles. In an electric vehicle almost half (43%) of the carbon created in production arises from the battery. To reduce carbon in vehicle production we need low weight, low carbon alternatives for steel and batteries.

Andy Carroll, Managing director for Eurotax Glass’s, said that the industry will see an evolution towards learning how to estimate the residual value impact of improved technologies and batteries as well as end of life disposal.

Although calculating whole life carbon emissions is complex, it is essential for comprehensive vehicle comparisons.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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