xkcd

8838 readers

165 users here now

A community for a webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language.

founded 1 year ago

MODERATORS

[email protected]

1101

xkcd #2948: Electric vs Gas (xkcd.com)

submitted 5 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

738 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Alt text:

An idling gas engine may be annoyingly loud, but that's the price you pay for having WAY less torque available at a standstill.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 months ago (2 children)

My job is within 10mi of my home. If I walk there, I get there in 2 hours. If I take public transportation, it takes me 1h45m to 2h20m depending on the day.

I also live in a community where our electricity is from 90% renewable resources, 10% nuclear. Switching to an electric car is a 100% reduction in carbon usage for my commute. Using the bus isn't.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Why not get an electric bike then? Reasonable price tag, will get you to work within a reasonable timeframe, significantly less congestion on roads, and charges with that renewable energy without using a lot of it.

Also, their point was that adding infrastructure for public transport (aka improving the public transport you're complaining about) will have a huge effect on reducing greenhouse gas emissions across a population and is more easily electrified. Your focus on an individual case is irrelevant to their argument.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Switching to an electric car is a 100% reduction in carbon usage for my commute.

Is it really? Are you positive?

How is your electricity generated. Coal, natural gas, or oil? Congratulations, your carbon usage is HIGHER with an EV than with an ICE! Is it hydro? Go look at the methane produced by those huge reservoirs. I haven't seen the calculations, but it's not neutral.

Oh, I know. You use solar and/or wind. Now look up the environmental costs of producing those. And of mining the special metals needed for the batteries. Or if you're nuked, the costs of mining uranium.

Switching to an EV is not the simple "zero carbon" solution you seem to imagine it to be.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 months ago

Because building non renewable power doesn't have a carbon cost right? And buying a petrol powered car doesn't have a carbon cost, right?

I'm talking about my commute. The carbon cost of driving to work from my home.

Don't strawman if you want your argument to be taken seriously - because what I read above translates to Crying neckbeard meme