Charging stations, promoted at least in part with public money, seem to make sense, economically and environmentally. Conventional gas cars spew lots of CO2 and other pollutants, clearly a cost to our commons, our shared air and water resources; a typical conventional car (e.g. 2014 Chevy Impala) emits over twice as much as a typical electric vehicle (e.g. 2014 Toyota Prius).
Furthermore, electric vehicles are quiet, an attribute especially appreciated in an urban setting.
Given our siege of the environment as told increasingly by obvious signs including climate change, unprecedented habitat destruction, and declining
biodiversity at least 1,000 times the natural background rate, it seems we need to do all we can to protect our natural resources. University of Maryland economists estimate services from the natural world, those which produce our clean air and water and fertile soil, contribute about $33 trillion annually, at least twice the world 'gnp.'
Moreover, recent research (e.g. Mark Jacobson, Stanford) indicates that energy from the sun and wind and other renewables can replace that from gas and oil and other nonrenewables many times over.
So, let's do all we can, including promoting electric vehicle use, to support our natural resources, our natural world, and ourselves, for years to come.
Peter K. McLean, Ph.D
Lewes
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