Have to give a 10 minute presentation tomorrow

"Nibby" (nibby68)
02/06/2014 at 11:47 • Filed to: None

on anything I like, as long as it is an environmental issue. I was thinking about giving one on how electric cars and hybrids don't really help the environment at all, with the manufacturing of batteries and the fact that charging an electric car uses electricity, which nearly half of our nation's electricity comes from burning fossil fuels. Thoughts?

Here's some links I'm thinking of referring to.

http://www.slate.com/articles/techn…

http://seekingalpha.com/article/143016…

http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/07/05/ele…

DISCUSSION (18)

TheJWT > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:48

I actually gave a similar presentation back in High School!

thebigbossyboss > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:48

Do's it!!!!!!!

ADabOfOppo; Gone Plaid (Instructables Can Be Confusable) > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:49

Be sure to say "functional usage" and "carbon footprint" repeatedly.

That always helps.

Casper > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:49

That's what I would do... but then again I liked pissing off teachers. You would certainly have plenty of data proving the point, especially with the recent study that showed even if every car in the US were replaced with electrics, the impact would be almost immeasurably small.

Nibby > Casper
02/06/2014 at 11:52

Do you have a link to such study?

Hermann > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:52

I once had to give a presentation on Fuel Cells, and ended up spending half of my time talking on no matter how efficient Hydrogen cars were, it's is still too wasteful to get the Hydrogen, so they are still pointless.

Another thing you can add is that "I'm buying a new car every year because new cars are more efficient" thought many "eco-friendly" people have, while manufacturing a car new is very wasteful by already.

Nibby > Hermann
02/06/2014 at 11:54

Yeah that's good to point out. I can't make generalizations though so I can't go in there and say "Most Tesla buyers probably will keep their cars for only a few years and then get something else."

André - Volvo4Life > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:56

Do it! I gave a 15 minute presentation once on how Americans buy way more truck/suv than they need, since I am in GA, it pissed everyone off.

"Whaddaya mean? My 9.32L V10 truck is NECESSARY to compensate for my microscopic male member!!!"

Casper > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 11:57

I don't have the original I was reading, but I think it was from North Carolina State University, so probably the same one this guy is referencing.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/…

puddler > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:00

plasma batteries, and those solar cubes the jap scientist came up with.

Frank Grimes > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:00

I proposed a paper like this before I heard of anyone else making the same claim. My hippy teacher was all like "WHAT?" I think I blew her mind that her hippy earth love peace out mobile was bad for the environment.

Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:11

Just a point to note - A credible and easy to use (make, transport and recycle) alternative energy store is the pie in the sky that we're after. And as of today, we don't have it and (Li) batteries are a temp substitute and a not very environmentally safe one at that.

Hermann > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:15

Another thing! You should buy like $10 of carbon credits and whenever someone questions you, you say you are carbon neutral.

But seriously: I remember once reading that not generating electricity was a problem, but it was also a false villain. While manufacturing of small goods like phones, TVs, shiny crap you buy in $1 stores and throw away a week later, etc. are much more wasteful but it's the cars that are crucified. I'll try to find it. I think my mom sent the link to me (she's a PhD in ecology and environmental management).

Nibby > Icemanmaybeirunoutofthetalents
02/06/2014 at 12:26

Thanks!

ttyymmnn > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:36

anything I like, as long as it is an environmental issue

That's like saying you can have any color you want as long as it's black.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:38

I listed to a bit on NPR once where a guy had asked a scientist how car-wise he could do the best thing for the environment, the scientist/environmentalist asked him, what do you drive? The answer was something like "a 1960's Suburban". The scientist said "keep driving it, you'll never repay the environment for the cost of producing something like a Prius".

But I suppose the counter argument there is that the environment has to kind swallow the "make pollution to eventually save on pollution" approach.

Xentron Holy Reaper of Worlds > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 12:55

Huh. I'm in the middle of writing a paper on the same topic. That's funny.

bugeyedfatwalrus > Nibby
02/06/2014 at 13:56

How about the fact that recycling is a scam and a farce? I have no data or research to corroborate this, but im sure of it.