Page 6 - ES Summer 2 Newsletter 2022

Will electric cars solve our problems?
Last year, one in ten new vehicles registered in the
UK were fully electric.
The carbon footprint of fueling an electric vehicle is a
lot lower than a conventional car powered by petrol
or diesel as more of the electricity generated in the
UK is coming from renewable sources such as wind.
However, producing a new car uses huge amounts of
energy and resources, manufacturing. A new family
car generates greenhouse gas equivalent to around
eight tonnes of CO2, or 25 tonnes for a large SUV.
Manufacturing electric vehicles of similar
sizes generate even higher amounts
of greenhouse gases due to the very
energy intensive process of making
the battery (though it is hopeful
that this will reduce as the process
becomes more efficient).
Switching to electric vehicles can
help decarbonize transportation
but we should also be mindful of
the increase demand we create for
electricity to power them.
Although reducing carbon from our
transport through electric vehicles is
part of the answer, the best long-term
solution would be to rely less on our
vehicles. It would have a dramatic
impact on the amount of greenhouse
gases emitted and think also of the
fewer roads and car parking spaces
that would be needed, all of which
have an impact on habitats
and our communities.
What about air travel?
It is estimated that flying accounts for
around 2% of global greenhouse gas
emissions. Though many scientists
agree that the impact of these gases
on the atmosphere are much higher
because they are generated at high
altitude. It is estimated that only 20%
of the world’s population use air travel,
with most flights occurring in more
developed countries.
As flights become less expensive as a
form of transport, the climate impact
of aviation has the potential to quickly
become even more significant.
The impact of flying on an individual’s
carbon footprint is huge, according
to the How Bad are Bananas? book,
a return business class flight from
London to Hong Kong has the same
footprint as using 340,000 plastic bags.
It’s a tough truth but to be able to
live within our means, in terms of
greenhouse gases, we would have to fly
less. We should look to make sure any
flight counts, maybe fly less often but
stay for longer.
We should also consider other ways
of travelling that could be part of the
holiday experience such as going away
by train or by boat. We should make
sure the travel is necessary and that you
do things at your destination that you
couldn’t do at home.
It is important also to consider how air
freight might be involved in the goods
that we buy. Any perishable items on
the shop shelves that have travelled a
long distance, such as flowers, soft fruits
and some vegetables like asparagus,
are likely to have come by plane. Many
other foods and goods, such as bananas,
are transported by boats, which have
a much lower impact relative to the
amount of cargo they can carry.