Electrification and the fossil fuel problem

Let’s start with a quick primer on energy types, and their role in the climate crisis. There’s a ton of reading you can do on the nitty gritty of energy types and the mechanics of climate change. To get you up to speed, here are the quick and dirty details:

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Why does the problem start and end with fossil fuels?
Fossil fuels, or non-renewable fuels, which include coal, oil, and natural gas supply ~80% of the world's energy. They release greenhouse gases like CO2 when they're burned, trapping heat in the atmosphere, and making them a primary contributor to climate change. This article from National Geographic gives a great explainer on the different types of fossil fuels, and how they are used.

Just how big of a problem are fossil fuels?
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Fossil fuels are the backbone of the electricity system, generating 64% of today's global supply. This is why these pesky non-renewables are so hard to quit! Check out this graph on global electricity generation and what powers it. 

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What’s the solution? 

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Electrify everything! Of course, there’s more nuance than one magical solution, but electrification puts us on the path to fast decarbonization and running as much as possible on renewable energy, instead of fossil fuels.  Green Tech Media outlines a simple 3-step solution for max coolness.  To shift to an electrified future, we have to make electrification exciting, dispel myths about electrification for contractors and consumers, and remove policy market barriers. 

At the end of the day, we do have the power to electrify our own lives. You can actually buy clean energy through your energy provider and more! What we do now REALLY matters and we have the power to shift demand towards renewable energy sources.

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During a members-only fireside chat with Dr. Kim Nicholas, one of our Founding Members asked, "Do you think it's possible to meet any climate goals if electric cars are the default transportation mode for the next 20 years?"

Dr. Nicholas’s answer was a resounding No. We have to electrify everything, including cars, AND reduce the need to drive. In general, we need to reduce our dependency on consumerism. That's why we’ll discuss the true cost of EVs. (Spoiler alert: EVs are only cheaper if you're rich.)

We recommend a 5-minute video from Grist, my favorite climate news outlet. Shannon Osaka, a climate journalist, has a really funny overview on the true cost of EVs and how they're cheaper if you're rich.

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You’ll learn that: 

• 🚗 EVs are actually cheaper. Comparing the host of the Hyundai Kona regular car vs. the electric version, the EV costs around $17k more new. But the average EV owner will save ~$11k by avoiding gas. Maintenance savings account for another $4,600 in savings. You can even get a tax credit in the US, which is another $7,500, making the EV more cost-effective
  
• 💰 EVs are also actually...not cheaper for some income brackets. Shockingly, the US tax code around EVs is incredibly convoluted and makes very little logical sense. To get the tax credit in the US, you need to be making at least $66k/year. EVs are only cheaper if you're rich 
• 🙅‍♀️ Users are losers! Although most Americans buy used cars, there's no tax credit for buying a used EV in all states except Oregon 
• 🔋 More money, more chargers. The more expensive your neighborhood is, the more expensive charging stations are

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Some of this, like the tax credit, only applies to the United States, but wherever you live, there's likely some sort of EV conversation going on.  At the end of the day, like many climate solutions, electrification isn’t a silver bullet. 

Our take: If you have the means to afford an EV, get one. Especially if you can get one secondhand. Those of us who are "climate privileged" should certainly do as much as possible to take individual action.

That said, we can never forget that the goal is change that benefits everyone. Tech solutions are a step in the right direction, but it takes structural and behavioral change to maintain momentum towards living more harmoniously with the planet. Like expanded (and electrified) public transit!

Electrification doesn’t have to be done at such a high cost. Here’s one action item to get you started. 

1. Go green through your utility company! 

Start your transition to clean energy today! You can actually get green power from your utilities in over 600 US companies. The best way to check is on your utility's website or give them a call. 

There’s nothing better than going green at the comfort of your own home!

Before we go any further, it's time for you to pledge your commitment. It takes less than 30 seconds to pledge and we can bother you about it in a friendly way, so we can hold each other accountable. Pledge here!

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🎯 Action step 4 of 4: REFLECT — what can you commit to? What fresh perspectives can we look at?

There's a lot to unpack with the "electrify everything" movement. Electrification replaces fossil fuels with clean energy (and we need it), but the way we electrify everything will require us to be thoughtful and justice-minded.

This New York Times article on the "lithium gold rush" highlights that we're building a new world, and as EVs become part of it, it’s important to think about progress holistically.

Some facts and takeaways:

• ⚡ EVs need lithium. Production of raw materials like lithium, cobalt and nickel that are essential to these EV car batteries & renewable energy are often ruinous to land, water, wildlife and people‍

• 🤢 Lithium mining can be v unsafe. Lithium mining is expected to use billions of gallons of groundwater, potentially contaminating some of it for 300 years

• 🤑 We're ignoring these planetary concerns because of global politics. We're not talking about this enough because... countries around the world are in a technological dominance race. Every country wants to be the first to get its hands on these precious raw materials. Extractive capitalism strikes again
  

• 🐄 Indigenous communities are disproportionately targeted. In the US, new lithium mines are expected to harm Indigenous lands and contaminate drinking water for people, livestock, and crops. Big, electric yikes
  

• 🧂 Good news, maybe: There are environmentally friendlier ways to extract lithium (from brine!) that may have a chance at keeping people safe while allowing us to "electrify everything"
   

Many of us have this mentality that buying an EV will solve climate change. Electrification is certainly a step in the right direction, but we have the chance to build a new world and keep people safe instead of charging towards "progress" at a cost to humans. As we switch to electric-everything, let's do it right!

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‍🏁 Checkpoint: This is the end of action step 4 of 4: REFLECT.

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Check out our membership community for more resources like free weekly events with social justice experts, sustainable product discounts, pre-written email templates, a social impact job board, and in-person hangouts with new friends. Thanks for taking action with Soapbox Project!