The recent article on Oregon’s push to replace gas powered vehicles with electric vehicles describes them as “electric alternatives that don’t contribute to climate change,” (“Oregon electric vehicle sales are soaring; can that last?” June 4). This is blatantly untrue. Or, it is only true if you just count tailpipe emissions within the boundaries of Oregon. But since climate change is a multifaceted and global problem, this is too narrow of a view.
Electric vehicles do indeed have a carbon footprint contributing to climate change, in obtaining raw materials, in manufacturing, in shipping, etc. The batteries are particularly impactful, requiring an increase in mining for many minerals. This not only uses fossil fuels but also causes other impacts such as landscape degradation and water pollution.
Words matter, and when false memes such as “electric vehicles don’t contribute to climate change” are repeated enough, people believe them. It makes it sound as though if everybody used electric vehicles, we would have a carbon-free transportation system. This is clearly not the case when we consider emissions globally. We need clear, truthful language about the climate impacts of electric vehicles so that they are not oversold as a solution to climate change and so that they do not lead, in a few decades, to some unintended new and possibly worse problems.
David Garen, Portland
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