There is a very interesting conversation going on at one of the national
Sierra Club list serves – here’s the gist:

 

>I attended a discussion of the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?" 

>last night with the creators of the film and some local Professors. I 

>was surprised to hear that they have approached Sierra Club and were 

>told that the SC does NOT support electric vehicles.

> 

>Does anyone know the story on this? 

> 

 

 

>The Club has not endorsed the concept of electric cars as a proven 

>benefit.  We continue to be cautiously optimistic about their potential.

>We will not be likely to support any technology which is not 

>commercially available, because we cannot measure the net impacts of 

>such a technology until we see it.  I happen to think that electric 

>cars will reduce CO2 emissions, but other people in the Club are 

>skeptical of the net benefit.  A lot depends on the toxicity and 

>recyclability of the battery technology selected for the next commercial
electric vehicle.

> 

>Dan Becker has been quoted in national media saying some rather 

>negative things about electric cars.  Part of the problem is that he 

>doesn't get to pick what a reporter quotes, and the statement was given 

>a disproportionate amount of emphasis.  Another part of the problem is 

>that a lot of people are overly confident that the electric car solves 

>a lot of environmental problems.

> 

>One part of the solution for this is if the electric car development is 

>linked to increased renewable electricity generation.  That hasn't 

>happened yet.  As long as the electric car is promoted in an 

>environment where it could result in increased construction of coal 

>power plants we have to be guarded about how we support the concept.  

>There is a great deal of advocacy for the Plug In Electric Hybrid 

>(PHEV) which is sheer nonsense, based on some highly speculative 

>writing Amory Lovins did some ten or fifteen years ago.  There is 

>enough truth to his ideas to be willing to see how it develops, and no 

>more.  We can't be sure that a large fleet of battery storage vehicles 

>will reduce issues associated with the variable availability of wind 

>and solar power.  It might aggravate those issues.

> 

>The Club promotes continued research and development for a variety of 

>technologies, and the electric cars seem to offer a potential to become 

>a viable part of a carbon strategy.  A small advance in battery 

>technology or some shifts in the relative costs of renewables versus 

>fossil fuels could seal the deal.  Until that happens we must be a 

>little less than absolutely supportive.

> 

>And that's not good enough for some people.

> 

 

 

Thanks. It always helps to know the backstory.

 

As I mentioned, this is why it becomes difficult for activists to get too
bogged down in a debate about specific technologies (which all have pros and
cons, competing interests, and change quickly), especially when talking to
reporters.  Better to talk about overall goals regardless of the technology,
I think. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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