heygrady

Natural gas, which is leaked heavily during fracking [2], is an order of magnitude more harmful than CO2 in the short term [3]. But it breaks down far faster in the atmosphere [4] and is comparatively better than coal when it's burned [5]. Thankfully, fossil fuels are losing to cleaner technologies [6].

Cheap renewables, like solar, allow EV owners to opt-out of centralized power generation and charge their cars with clean power [7]. One could argue that this is the entire business model of Tesla [8].

[1] http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/re...

[2] https://thinkprogress.org/methane-leaks-erase-climate-benefi...

[3] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/understanding-global-warmin...

[4] https://www.quora.com/What-happens-to-methane-once-it-is-rel...

[5] http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-energy/coal-and-other-fossil-fue...

[6] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/20...

[7] https://www.wired.com/2011/11/evs-go-off-grid/

[8] https://www.wired.com/2016/06/tesla-solar-city-elon-musk/

Some of the widely reported research about the power generation and electric cars is flawed [1]. Electric vehicles and hybrids come out about even in the worst markets, like Missouri [2]. But nearly everywhere else, an electric vehicle is better for the environment. People don't always consider that the electric grid is moving away from coal [3], which means your electric car will get greener during the time you own it without you having to upgrade it.

[1] http://midwestenergynews.com/2016/04/20/minnesota-study-chal...

[2] http://blog.ucsusa.org/rachael-nealer/gasoline-vs-electric-g...

[3] http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2016/08/renewab...

Hydrogen is unlikely to win, it's fair to say that it has already lost [1]. The hydrogen economy was mostly a myth [2]. 95% of hydrogen is made from natural gas [3].

[1] http://www.salon.com/2016/11/19/who-killed-the-hydrogen-car-...

[2] http://www.triplepundit.com/2010/02/hydrogen-is-not-the-fuel...

[3] https://energy.gov/eere/fuelcells/hydrogen-production-natura...

[1] http://wolfstreet.com/2016/06/13/why-us-coal-production-coll...

[2] https://qz.com/871907/2016-was-the-year-solar-panels-finally...

[3] http://midwestenergynews.com/2016/04/20/minnesota-study-chal...

> Many of the jobs are also accessible to people who might otherwise struggle to find well-paying jobs. An entry-level worker without a degree can conceivably double their salary within a year, from $10-$12 an hour for simple manual labor to $20-$23 an hour. The median wage posted for solar installer jobs in 2016 was $26 an hour.

[1] https://cleantechnica.com/2016/12/25/cost-of-solar-power-vs-...

[1] http://www.mediaite.com/columnists/foxs-white-house-bans-fox...

[1] http://www.snopes.com/trump-sends-unpresidented-tweet/

[1] https://www.whitehousehistory.org/the-president-the-press-an... [2] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/longterm/water...

[1] https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/04/ho...

[1] http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-battles-pres...

The war on drugs was instituted as a racist policy [3]. It's quite likely that the main motivation here is using drug laws to punish people of color.

[1] http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history_less...

[2] https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2001/03/getting...

[3] http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richa...

[1] http://www.latimes.com/local/abcarian/la-me-abcarian-la-cann...

[2] http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/CPUCNewsDetail.aspx?id=6442452320

[1] http://www.economist.com/node/13237193

He spoke at length about it[1] in his recent state of the state address in New Jersey. He made it a key part of his failed presidential campaign[2]. He is reportedly a long time opponent of recreational marijuana[3].

[1] http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/01/christie_2017_s...

[2] https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/politics/2015/05/07/chris-c...

[3] http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/01/16/chris-christie-marijua...

[1] https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-09-15/study-opioid...

[2] http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2016.3...

EV incentives weren't meant to be unsustainable. That's why they're limited to 200k cars per manufacturer. Tesla will be the first EV maker to become ineligible for tax credits because they will have hit the limit. They're also the first EV maker to deliver a car that keeps its value. Others will follow this year and next.

How the EV tax credit works: https://cleantechnica.com/2016/04/19/how-the-ev-tax-credit-w...

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1098554_should-i-buy-a-u...

Long-term, the sale of these cars is allowing the EV market to mature. Already the price of the batteries has gone way down. The nextgen EVs coming out this year and next with 200+ miles of range were only made possible by this "unsustainable" consumer good. Maybe my 2012 EV with 75 miles of range is already in a land-fill somewhere. But a car like a Tesla S keeps its value surprisingly well and should last for quite a while.

The Chevy Bolt is a compelling car that someone could own for a decade. Your main complaint is that the cars are evolving so fast that there are better options available every time your lease is up. Big deal!

I think the battery is the most hazardous component. It's also the most valuable from a recycling perspective.

Firstgen EVs are not popular in the aftermarket: http://blog.caranddriver.com/tesla-aside-resale-values-for-e...

Battery recycling is an emerging market as well: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1093810_electric-car-bat...

You can add a battery backup system to cover night-time usage on your own home. The $10k battery system basically doubles the price. But since the solar panel's price just dropped by 50%... Cloudy days you might still be in a deficit.

What is so wrong with a mixed system that uses renewables where it makes sense and relies on other sources to fill in whatever gaps appear?

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/fda-warns-23andme-tells-genetic-...

> Researchers ... have calculated that the grid has enough excess capacity to support over 150 million battery-powered cars, or about 75 percent of the cars, pickups, and SUVs on the road in the United States.

China is pretty excited about electric cars.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-23/china-won-...

> China [is] the only market where Toyota sells EVs.

> Methane breaks down in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide, ozone, and water, all of which absorb heat.

Almost every current article about cow burps cites a 2006 U.N. study saying that livestock accounted for 18% of methane pollution. That study was later called into question as being slightly exaggerated because it included pollution from farming infrastructure itself, not just the animals.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/environment/climatecha...

> The meat figure had been reached by adding all greenhouse-gas emissions associated with meat production, including fertiliser production, land clearance, methane emissions and vehicle use on farms, whereas the transport figure had only included the burning of fossil fuels.

Excluding the farm equipment and fossil-fuel-based fertilizer, cow burps form a natural closed loop. Meaning, grow corn or grass and it takes in greenhouse gasses from the soil and the air. Feed it to a cow and it releases those same greenhouse gasses.

Cows and plants by themselves are not actually contributing greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere in a manner that contributes to global warming. Meaning, if you're worried about cow burps or humans breathing... stop worrying about it. And if you're pointing out that animals emit greenhouse gasses... cool, but that is irrelevant to a rational discussion of emissions that lead to climate change.

For agriculture, the system becomes imbalanced when you add in the emissions of the industrial farm equipment and the shipping infrastructure to getting food from the farm to the the table. But that imbalance is what we're trying to address when we talk about transitioning to more fuel efficient vehicles or more sustainable farming practices (like not using fossil fuels in fertilizer).

So, mentioning agriculture as a polluter is typically a red herring. At first blush it seems reasonable because there are a lot of farm animals that emit greenhouse gasses. However, including agriculture in a discussion of emissions is usually disingenuous or misinformed.

Cows eat grass, not fossil fuels. Measuring the impact of agriculture vs. transportation should take the source of the pollutants into account.

I would presume the author is rejecting a handful of stereotypes in the quoted statement. I think the author was rejecting the sexist undertones of men being preferable to "women telling [kids] what to do". And the sexist undertones of introducing young men to "a girl who looks like Diahann Carroll." And the tone-deafness of "meet them with a real estate agent." Maybe the author thought showing Vietnam Veterans "a list of jobs" was also tone-deaf.

1) In the earlier article about reparations, there was a large section about real estate red-lining. Importantly, minorities were not allowed to buy houses outside of designated areas. http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case...

2) There are any number of reasons that a military veteran may have difficulty finding a job (PTSD?). Suggesting that they simply haven't looked is a little bit insulting. http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2013/11/11/re...

3) While there are numerous claims of the importance of male role models, these arguments are dubious. http://www.amazon.com/Raising-Boys-Without-Men-Exceptional/d...

4) I presume the bit about Diahann Carroll is suggesting that black men would get married and stay married if they met a sufficiently sexy woman. I think most people would consider that to be insulting.