A Clean California Needs Electric Cars...
As California works to climb out of its energy crisis, a curious sideshow is being orchestrated in Sacramento to gut important mandates that would improve the quality of the air we breathe and lead to a cleaner future for the Golden State.
Auto makers, playing off public uncertainties and blackout threats, are claiming that the 250,000 electric vehicles they must provide by 2010 in California will overburden the state’s fragile power grid. It’s the latest argument advanced by Detroit to whittle down the auto makers’ obligation to help meet the state’s zero-emissions vehicle mandate. The fact is, electric vehicles primarily recharge during off-peak, or nighttime, hours--a time of low demand. What’s more, charging up 250,000 EVs would use about 3/10th of 1% of the energy Californians use on an annual basis.
The auto industry and those that have unwittingly swallowed their line ignore the harsh fact that we import more than half our oil, and that our national security is impaired to protect that oil lifeline. It’s an issue of peace or war. (Remember Operation Desert Storm?) We need cleaner, home-grown sources like electricity from the sun and the wind.
The California Air Resources Board, after reaffirming its commitment a few months ago, should not now retreat by delaying or reducing the landmark zero-emissions mandate.
Over the past 20 years, auto makers have been reluctant to fully embrace mandates that improve safety or reduce emissions. But government vigilance and the auto industry’s resulting innovation have produced air bags, catalytic converters, safety glass, seat belts and head restraints, to name a few.
Electric vehicles reduce pollution for everyone by displacing imported petroleum and the refineries that produce petroleum products. EVs cost about $1 per 100 miles to operate and have virtually no moving parts to break down. There’s no need for tuneups or oil changes, and longer-lasting batteries that inspire greater speeds and expanded runs make the cars convenient to use.
Producing more of the cars, not fewer, would cut their costs and reduce the current one-year waiting time for Californians who want to drive electric. Best of all, EVs can be recharged with electricity generated by clean technologies, such as wind or solar, resulting in a 100% emissions-free cycle. (The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power has the largest solar-powered recharging facility in the nation.)
Alternative technologies that will help us solve our energy crisis must be embraced for their potential to reduce the urban smog that belches from the tailpipes of cars, trucks and, increasingly, gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles. Pollution from these sources is fouling our air, causing cancer and other diseases and contributing to global warming.
In our transportation-obsessed society, where tailpipes account for 70% of all emissions, California cannot guarantee it will meet clean-air standards without zero-emissions vehicles and other clean-car technologies. More than ever, we need to spur innovation and lifestyle changes that put California first.
