The Biden administration is reviewing California’s plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars by 2035.
To get federal approval, California claims it “needs” this ban to prevent harm to public health from particulate matter—airborne particles like dust, dirt and soot.
But banning gasoline cars would do little to reduce particulate emissions, and it could even increase them.
That’s because new gasoline cars are very clean.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, cars emit only about 1% of all direct fine particulate matter in California, and most of those emissions come from older models.
The newer gasoline cars that California wants to ban will often have particulate filters that reduce emissions to below one 1/1,000th of a gram per mile driven.
The main source of car emissions used to come from the tailpipe.
Today most vehicle-related particulate matter comes from tire wear.
California calls electric cars “zero emissions vehicles” because they don’t have tailpipes. That is deceptive.
Generating the electricity that powers those cars creates particulate pollution, and of course electric cars still use tires, which are made from petroleum.
EVs...solar...wind..."high efficiency" appliances, "smart" grids...etc. All cut from the same cloth: generate the illusion of "doing something" about a "crisis" that the elites have mostly manufactured out of scientism. None of these are designed to actually make our lives better, they are designed to make people "feel" better. The cardinal sin is to ask for a true cost-benefit analysis. Green energy fails every time.
@RedStateAudreyGreen3mos3MO
Never heard the word scientism...but I think you may have it, a fear of science and the need to pretend that there is not climate change due to humans and their behavior. Seems all the electric vehicle hate boils down to a need to prove they are more polluting that thei gasoline powered breathren and not necessary becausee there is no climate change and no problem with burning the most fossil fuel possible. Green energy does not fail every time...even Texas gets more than 30% of all its electricity from solar and wind...why do solar power and wind frighten so many Republicans?
I am a Republican (at least I used to be, but that’s another topic) and I don’t fear solar or wind. Let’s develop all the energy technologies we can and see what works and how we can improve those technologies. I believe in science, real science, the scientific method, which is a continual search for truth. What I don’t like are government mandates that purport to rely on “settled science” and seek to suppress dissent. The crisis that was the Covid pandemic was a great example of this. The powers that be established narratives that were not to be questioned, many of which have been prov...
@RedStateAudreyGreen3mos3MO
Rising sea levels are also relative. There are several great, ancient cities now well under water. If land masses are changing, if water bodies are changing, we can adapt. The earth will do as it must in the solar system it resides within. We already have had to adjust magnetic north coordinates due to earth axis movement which, by the way, must have impact on different regions local climates.
Can we not trust and work with the earth? It really is our only option. It would be nice to do so without polluting it with turbines and toxic mining. Instead, let’s clean up the plastics and other trash. We can adapt.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution3mos3MO
We're not "afraid" of green energy – what we despise is an overreaching government encroaching on our most sacred rights and policing our every business decision and financial choice. And that, history demonstrates in no uncertain terms, is a thing indeed to fear.
@Bl4ckBoxIkeConstitution3mos3MO
"designed to make people "feel" better."
The sanctimonious (and nearly always affluent) people who plant lawn signs proclaiming how virtuous they are, are probably the most influenced by such emotions
Overall, I think its designed as a green grift ... consumers & taxpayers will pay tens or hundreds of Trillion$ to transition the world. There is an army of consultants, gov't officials, administrators, crony capitalist, etc, standing buy to take a maximum cut of those Trillion$.
@PoliticHazelLibertarian3mos3MO
We don't need these mandates, we need choice, we need freedom. The freedom to buy an electric car that loves smoking tires or buy whatever car you want. Net-net the best thing you can do for the environment is simple: never buy a new car.
I checked this entry because of its cleverness. But wait: where are the used cars of the future to come from, if nobody buys a new car?
@PoliticHazelLibertarian3mos3MO
They're already here, they're every car on the road. But also, environment shouldn't be the only thing you care about; sometimes you want the latest model to impress your friends. Full disclosure: Stellantis is about 12% of my portfolio
@G3rrym4nderSkylarGreen3mos3MO
Most birth rates have dropped below 2 per female globally. We won't need as many new cars as some predict.
@SoulfulSnailDemocrat3mos3MO
Hybrids are a far better solution. Toyota had it right all along.
@BoldS0cialistRepublican3mos3MO
EVs are not a real solution. Beam Transporters are.
@SoulfulSnailDemocrat3mos3MO
Love the narrow-minded, short-sighted, backward-looking mindset of Republicans.
@Patriot-#1776Constitution3mos3MO
Oh really? Because it sure looks like this new study proves that our "narrow minded, short-sighted, backward-looking mindset" about EVs turned out to be absolutely right ... and your "open-minded, far-sighted, forward looking" theories utterly wrong!
@Gr33nPartyBurritosGreen3mos3MO
What? Suddenly particulate tire pollution from tires on EVs (because they weigh more) is a huge problem? Seriously? If the tire/weight particulate issue was as serious a "deal-breaker" problem as you allege it to be, then we need to immediately get rid of all of those overweight SUVs, huge pick-up trucks and bloated luxury cars as they generally weigh more than an EV. Wake up... EVs are not the enemy, disinformation is. This article only shows the rather distorted "guidance" of the right wing leaders pandering to the oil and gas industry.
@GratefulSeafowlPatriot3mos3MO
Uhm...lots of EV companies are producing or planning "...SUVs, huge pick-up trucks and bloated luxury cars..."Apples to apples if you would, please.
@Gr33nPartyBurritosGreen3mos3MO
The point is, this article has zero mention of the simple fact that there are a lot of heavy vehicles (SUVs, pick-up trucks, luxury sedans) whose tire wear has not been mentioned or is of any concern. Yes, tire particulates are a problem, but suddenly decrying it as an EV problem is disinformation and pandering by the publishers to push a point that is ridiculous.
@FranchiseCalLibertarian3mos3MO
The ultimate goal is to ban automobiles. They provide too much personal freedom. Any lies that support the goal are acceptable.
@AnxiousPollsterVeteran3mos3MO
In China, with its great success with EV's, electricity is primarily from coal. Meaning cars are essentially running on coal.
@ISIDEWITH3mos3MO
@ISIDEWITH3mos3MO
@9KKQSSPIndependent3mos3MO
Electric cars are certainly not the solution to the problem, but that doesn't mean we should throw in the towel in searching for alternatives to gas and oil.
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