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.