Transportation is a critical part of any American’s life, and thanks to the invention of the engine and fossil fuel processing, getting where you want to go has never been easier. Driving a car has become an integral part of American society and culture, as approximately 250 million Americans drive cars. Unfortunately, the climate is in more danger than ever before, and the transportation sector is one of the biggest culprits.

As a reminder, ‘Greenhouse Gases’ such as carbon dioxide, come from the burning of fossil
fuels – a process that occurs in every gas/diesel car. The compounded effect of millions of cars on the road every day adds up to create a layer in the atmosphere that traps heat from escaping and has negative consequences on the earth’s biosphere.

The Energy Information Administration estimates that 31% of all U.S. carbon emissions come
from just gasoline and diesel cars every year. Vehicles with internal combustion engines run on fossil fuels and release tailpipe emissions, which include greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide, as well as very harmful and potentially deadly gases like carbon monoxide.

Additionally, gas and diesel cars with internal combustion engines are unsustainable because
they require fossil fuels, like petroleum and natural gases, which are non-renewable, meaning
they cannot be reused and are very hard to acquire.

Luckily, electric vehicle technology is advancing rapidly and production is higher than ever
before. Keep in mind that EVs are still cars, and the vehicle production has its own
environmental impact. But overall, EVs are 10 times more environmentally friendly than gas-
powered cars. There are two main types of EVs: hybrids, which use special technology for
‘regenerative braking’ (recycling the energy from braking back to the car as energy), and fully
electric, battery-powered vehicles. EVs are powered by electricity rather than straight from fossil fuels. While many Americans still use coal-powered electricity, EVs use a fraction of the fossil fuels to charge compared to gas- powered cars, and if you have solar on your house, your personal transportation is carbon-free.

States now offer many benefits to commercially clean vehicles, such as designated parking
spots and driving lanes. EVs also save drivers hundreds of dollars a year on gas. Developments
in EV battery recycling are taking off across the country. If you’re in a place to purchase a new
vehicle, consider buying an EV; the planet, and your wallet, will thank you!

By Grayson Rae