Posted BY: Walter Myers III
All-electric battery vehicles (BEVs) have become all the rage, particularly with the political class, who see them as a magical means to combat climate change. We know, of course, there is no such thing as magic. But that won’t stop politicians from making proclamations, followed by policies that bring about bad, even destructive, results.
Climate science is highly complex, as the Earth has gone through many warming and cooling periods over billions of years with widely varying amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere long before man arrived on the scene. I have no reason to doubt the global climate is warming, and that humans are significant contributors. But the crusade to end gasoline-powered vehicles by forcing consumers to purchase BEVs is as simpleminded as it is unscientific.
Trending: The 6 Horsemen of the Apocalypse for China
With respect to CO2 emissions, it is true that BEVs, overall, have a distinct emissions advantage over conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. Yet politicians seeking to ban the purchase of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, as has become law in California beginning in 2035 and soon to be followed in Washington state, Oregon, Massachusetts, and New York, have made the gross mistake of pursuing a policy prescription without thought to the environmental, economic, and logistical issues their policies will create. This is not to say BEVs can’t be a part of combating climate change. But they shouldn’t be the only solution when it comes to vehicle emissions.
