Econ final essay 2

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1 Running Head: Electric Vehicles The Real Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles and Its Alternative 218740688 York University ENVS 2510, Economics for The Anthropocene April 14, 2023

2 Running Head: Electric Vehicles Introduction The urgent issue of climate change negatively affects all individuals in the world. Environmental efforts have been made through many sectors like government institutions, citizens, and corporations to mitigate these negative effects. This can be seen through the production of electric vehicles. Although electric vehicles have been found to reduce negative environmental effects, they have more environmental complications than one might expect. There are many negative aspects during the production of electric car batteries. To extract the materials needed for its formation, it is contributing to climate change and impacts humans negatively. Government, citizens, and corporations all play a vital role in making this world sustainable for generations to come. Economic processes help people understand the ways in which this can be done. Economic policy options such as investments in further research of hydrogen fuel vehicles, grants, and collaboration between governments and industries are options that will benefit society if implemented correctly and efficiently. Electric vehicles seem like a viable way to create positive change and is a solution to the most pressing environmental issues, but the ways of production and number of emissions being expelled into the atmosphere during that time is insurmountable. This paper will discuss how the negative effects associated with the production of electric car batteries such as greenhouse emissions during the vehicles production proves that hydrogen fuel vehicles will benefit society more thorough cooperation between government institutions, citizens, and industries. Relation To Economists Devising economic policy options is vital when finding alternative ways to protect the environment in contrast to electric powered cars. The ideals that most companies adhere to relates to the ideologies of Adam Smith, where they see the environment as a recourse that

3 Running Head: Electric Vehicles cannot be over exploited. This includes natural resources and all elements of Earth. This ideology is far from reality as climate change is proven to be occurring at a rate in which humans cannot adapt to. Adam Smith is known to believe in individualism and free-market capitalism. This means that markets should be able to operate without government interference. Moreover, his belief that individualism is of importance when making one’s own economic decisions will lead people to success. Pursuing these notions leads to competition among citizens. Also, working with government institutions are beneficial when implementing a big project and for support. This can be seen though capitalistic pursuits among car industries, as they will stop at nothing to profit. This includes causing damage to citizens’ health and the health of the environment. The profits made form electric powered vehicles is seen as more valuable than the environmental repercussions as a result. An economist that heavily relates to the ideas of environmental protection is Robert Ayres. Environmental protection through sustainable initiatives will lead to a more prosperous society. He was correct in believing that energy efficiency, in this case alternatives to electric vehicles, leads to a more prosperous society and ultimately economic growth. The integration of environmental sustainability and economics were at the forefront of his ideologies, by which he believed they relate to each other. When making economic decisions, such as the integration of electric vehicles, Ayres’s beliefs suggest that these decisions need to be made with environmental protection at the forefront of the decision makers’ minds. To understand the challenges associated with sustainability, having an understanding on how materials are extracted and transformed is crucial. Implementing innovations from gas powered to electric to hydrogen powered vehicles needs to be done in a sophisticated manner, whereby long-term effects and environmental effects are being accounted

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4 Running Head: Electric Vehicles for and taken into consideration. Economists’ perspectives are pivotal when discussing economic policy options, as it shapes how information can be proven and if it is viable to pursue. The Environmental Impact of Electric Vehicles As the world is looking to devise sustainable transitions for future aspects of society, such as new vehicle innovations, electric vehicles have been seen to be very promising. Electric vehicles have gained popularity because without doing further research, they seem like a viable option for the future, as gas powered vehicles are being phased out due to climate commitments among many countries. Although they are seen to be a promising solution to mitigate the effects of climate change, the environmental impact of electric vehicle’s is more than one may think. Most of the negative environmental effects are associated with their ways of manufacturing. During production, rare Earth metals are required to develop their batteries such as cobalt and lithium. Extracting these elements have irreversible effects on the environment. How much coal and other fossil fuels are being used to charge the electric vehicles determines how much cleaner they are compared to gasoline vehicles. Jeremy Michalek states for the New York Times, “if you’ve got electric cars in Pittsburgh that are being plugged in at night and leading nearby coal plants to burn more coal to charge them, then the climate benefits won’t be as great, and you can even get more air pollution” (The New York Times, 2021). Moreover, most electric car batteries function on materials that are rare and have effects on the health of the environment and humans themselves. Cobalt is of high demand but is problematic due to its negative impacts on the environment when it is leached and exposed to humans. Electric vehicles seem like a great option when trying to be proactive in climate solutions, but there are many things to consider. If the electricity is being run on coal and then environmental impact electric car batteries have on

5 Running Head: Electric Vehicles emissions. These factors need to be considered when implementing positive changes for the future and for generations to come. Opposing view An opposing view that has been seen to promote electric vehicle sales is how they do not emit pollutant when the vehicle is in motion or being used. This is especially beneficial on busy highways, where idling is inevitable. Fuel cell cars emit pollution into the atmosphere while being used, whereas electric vehicles do not. Common pollutants that are emitted when driving are carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NO2). Having electric vehicles is ideal for urban areas and busy cities, as it decreases the air pollution in those areas. This is because they do not emit emissions from the vehicle’s tailpipe. In relation to energy efficiency, they are much more efficient in comparison to fuel-fun vehicles. The government of Canada states, “Electric-drive motors are much more efficient than combustion engines and drivetrains. The efficiency of energy conversion from on-board storage to turning the wheels is nearly five times greater for electricity than gasoline, at approximately 76% and 16%, respectively. Electric vehicles also increase a vehicle’s efficiency by using regenerative braking technology to recover energy that would otherwise have been lost” (Government of Canada, 2022). Energy efficiency is an important factor to consider when deciding if electric vehicles are important to implement. With a more energy efficient vehicle, means that these vehicles have more travel time. An example of a stock flow resource are fossil fuels. Stock flow resources can be transformed, used at any rate, and can be stockpiled. In the case of electric car batteries, they are excludable and a rival resource. This is because they have a limited stock—fossil fuels are non-renewable resources. Therefore, once they have been consumed, they cannot be regenerated.

6 Running Head: Electric Vehicles Having an understanding on types of resources allows for economic policies to be implemented with caution. Although the environmental benefits of electric powered vehicles can be seen through no emissions being put into the atmosphere via tail pipe, the fact that the fossil fuels being used are non-renewable needs to be considered when devising new ways for the automotive industry to become more sustainable. Alternative to Electric Vehicles A hydrogen fuel cell vehicle is an alternative to an electric vehicle by which they utilize hydrogen gas as a fuel source to generate a chemical reaction that causes only water to be the by- product. There are many renewable sources of hydrogen such as electrolysis of water, which is made using renewable energy. It is believed that hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCV) will benefit a wide range of applications such as long commutes. All while releasing no emissions back into the atmosphere. However, some challenges that have arising with the promotion of these vehicles are production costs and safety concerns when being put in storage or being transported. There is no denying the importance of nature and the environment. It is important to understand these values to protect it from for-profit companies that have no regard for the effects of climate change. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are a more promising option for the future, as platinum can be recycled, as opposed to fossil fuels which is a rival resource. Incentives for the automotive industry to invest in these practices can been seen through governmental influence. Also, offering rebates for citizens who decide to purchase a more sustainable car would drive demand up. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles is a viable investment for the future, as electric vehicles are not as sustainable. Government institutions, citizens, and the automotive industry must work collaboratively to see this innovation become implemented. Conclusion

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7 Running Head: Electric Vehicles When devising new ways to be more sustainable, the automotive industry is a great start. The transition from gas powered to electrical fueled vehicles is not enough to repair the damage that has been done. When electric car batteries are manufactured, non-renewable resources are used and its emissions gets emitted into the atmosphere, which contributes to climate change. With the cooperation of government institutions, citizens, and corporations, meaningful transitions can be made in the automotive industry through transitioning to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Hydrogen vehicles only emit water through electrolysis. This is beneficial because no tailpipe emissions are being put into the atmosphere. Moreover, the fuel cells are made in a more sustainable manner. Using platinum which can be recycled and has not been known to cause environmental issues. This paper proves that solutions in relation to climate change exist but will not be implemented if there is no support. The environmental impacts of Electric powered vehicles are not a sustainable option for the future. With the support of all sectors of society, fuel powered vehicles and electric powered vehicles will phase out and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be easily accessible for citizens to purchase. There are numerous negative effects that are associated with the production of electric car batteries, including greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will be beneficial to society through automotive incentive plans and rebates through the cooperation between governments, citizens, and industries. Word Count:

8 Running Head: Electric Vehicles References Correa, L. B. (2023). Week 2: Presentation Notes. Microsoft Word. Retrieved April 10, 2023. Correa, L. B. (2023). Week 7: Presentation Notes. Microsoft Word. Retrieved March 23, 2023. Government of Canada. (2022, October 20). Buying an electric vehicle . Natural Resources Canada. Retrieved April 6, 2023, from https://natural-resources.canada.ca/energy- efficiency/transportation-alternative-fuels/personal-vehicles/choosing-right-vehicle/ buying-electric-vehicle/21034 Ryu, Sun, H. H., Myung, S.-T., Yoon, C. S., & Sun, Y.-K. (2021). Reducing cobalt from lithium- ion batteries for the electric vehicle era. Energy & Environmental Science, 14(2), 844–852. https://doi.org/10.1039/d0ee03581e Tabuchi, H., & Plumer, B. (2021, March 2). How green are electric vehicles? The New York Times. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html Wu, Xinkai et al. “Electric Vehicles’ Energy Consumption Measurement and Estimation.” Transportation research. Part D, Transport, and environment 34 (2015): 52–67. Web.

Econ final essay 2

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