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. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.3/642 - Release Date: 1/20/2007 10:31 PM - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp