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Originally Posted by Comfortably Numb
It is our consumption of oil that makes the polymer by-products so cheap that it more expensive to recycle used plastic, so we just discard huge quantities of it, polluting the planet. High time the government put a tax on virgin plastic, and cross-subsidised re-cycling of plastics, after all, there is far more waste plastic in the world than we are ever likely to need, as long as we continue to recycle it. And electric motors are so much more efficient than even the latest eco IC engines, even after including the losses from steam turbine generation ( again, far more efficient than the IC engine, even when produced by coal), and grid delivery losses, there is really no argument. Add to that the huge cost of delivering fuel to filling stations by tanker, transport of oil to refineries by supertankers, etc,it becomes apparent that electric cars, or electrification of existing cars, is the only way to make any impact on transport pollution. And as we replace more of our old fossil fuelled power stations with renewables, and roll out further efficiencies in our homes and businesses, more electricity will be available for charging up our cars. But you are correct that our current grid infrastructure is woefully inadequate for the carbon reduction promises made by our not-for-much -longer PM. Solar panels on every new building should be made mandatory. That would help!
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I had an interesting discussion with a Chartered Engineer a few days ago.
It was about the Birmingham "Clean Air Zone" which is coming in soon.
They made an interesting point:
If the underlying policy/idea is to have "Clean Air" then surely charging isn't the way to do it? Just ban the vehicles that are causing the pollution. That way you get the clean air because the vehicles that are causing the problem aren't there anymore.
Of course that can't happen anytime soon because the vast majority of the vehicles that are the life blood of the City are the ones causing the pollution. No vehicles = economic trading death.
So, similar to the plastics issue if we really want to cut down then we need something that is much more "active" than simply adding another tax.
I've posted elsewhere that we need a proper "Cradle to Grave" environmental (NOT money) impact assessment to tackle the issues. And it needs to be Global otherwise I can see the scenario where a very few Countries effectively bankrupt themselves while a few others make a fortune while ignoring or, worse, accelerating the problems.
I heard that the reason all new properties are do not have mandatory solar panels is because the electricity generation industry were vigorously lobbying against the idea because it would cost them their profits......
Andy.