Are electric cars actually environmentally friendly?

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We have seen it in the news. The Earth is dying and humans are to blame. But are we? Climate change activists currently believe that as we continue using our cars, we are slowly destroying the Earth. Do we really need to give up our gasoline-powered vehicles to save the planet?

According to Green Car Reports, the United States has the second highest electric car population in the world and 1 out of every 50 car owners drives a gasoline-free vehicle. With this information, it is difficult to understand what comes next. Many 2020 presidential candidates have gained interest in the idea of forcing electric cars on everyone living in America. Politicians like Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders, and Andrew Yang love the idea of going fossil-fuel-free. They all claim they’ll make America 100% emission free in the next 15-25 years, but are they aware of what they are actually promoting? 

Some people may see the increase of these cars on the road as a great thing. But the production of the car’s battery has some pretty detrimental effects. These batteries are produced by deep-sea mined lithium. A recent study from the University of Exeter outlines the fact that these ‘environmentally friendly cars’ are actually not that friendly and that these batteries have some negative environmental impacts. The study allows emphasizes that, “in the past decade, the implications of the rapid loss of marine species are becoming apparent.” Their research suggests that the dredging of lithium will contribute to a quick loss of marine life and could lead to the release of a toxin. 

As electric cars continue to grow in sales we need to understand that this alternative to gasoline powered cars may not be the best solution, or even a good one. And we need to stand up to politicians and activists who support ‘clean’ transportation that is full of dirt.