End Tax Credits for EVs that Run on Fossil Fuel
How much more of woke “feel good” nonsense are we going to stand for?
Fueled by psychotic environmentalists, Democrat politicians and bureaucrats are hell-bent on forcing you into an electric vehicle. In California, Governor Hair Gel signed an executive order mandating that by 2035, all new vehicles must be emission free. Naturally, sanctimonious liberals are ecstatic.
Yet, this is the same state that routinely experiences rolling blackouts due to an electric grid that is outdated and in disrepair because funding earmarked for infrastructure maintenance went into renewable energy development instead. As I pointed out in an earlier column, renewable energy is unreliable, expensive and puts excessive stress on the grid. Due to these limitations, some experts believe that solar and wind renewable energy will never account for more than 10% of the total energy usage in developed countries.
Willful Ignorance of Unpleasant EV Realities
Despite the authoritarian declaration from the left that man-made climate change is “settled science,” anyone who has taken the time to research the subject knows the debate remains unresolved. We all recognize that over time, the climate changes, but this is not an admission that human activity is the cause. Were the five ice ages and subsequent interglacial warming periods caused by burning fossil fuels? How can the source of global warming be determined when the impact of the most efficient greenhouse gas, moisture, can’t even be accurately measured? What about the effect of sunspots, tides, solar flares and changes in the earth’s rotation? These are all factors that contribute to rising ambient temperature, but none of them can be measured.
Yet, in their blind self-righteousness, Woke wants to force an entire industry to change its manufacturing operations in pursuit of a solution that could miss the mark entirely. Worse, EVs could actually cause a man-made environmental catastrophe while adding unnecessary stress, inconvenience and economic hardship to the lives of ordinary Americans.
EVs run on batteries that contain a variety of minerals and chemicals, including graphite, aluminum, nickel, copper, steel, manganese, cobalt, and iron. Graphite is especially problematic as the dust from the mining operations result in significant hazardous dust emissions. The purification of battery grade anode products involves the use of high quantities of sodium hydroxide and hydrofluoric acid, which are harmful to the environment and human health.
In China, graphite mining operations are so energy intensive, factories typically use cheap coal to run their machinery. Local residents claim the air “glitters,” and the graphite dust settles on everything, stunting crop growth, leaving a grit on food and contaminating the drinking water. In fact, research indicates that EV battery production emits 74% more carbon dioxide than a conventional gasoline powered car during the manufacturing process.
These grim assessments don’t include the issue of battery disposal or the widely reported use of child labor in third-world and Chinese mining operations.
It’s Time to Implement EV Subsidy Requirements
For years now, every EV owner has received a subsidy from U.S. taxpayers in the form of a tax credit. Recently, the federal government extended the $7500 credit until 2033, ostensibly to combat climate change. However, lost in all the virtue signaling from the left is the inconvenient reality that non-hydroelectric renewables only comprise an estimated 13% of the total electricity consumed in the U.S. This means 87% of the electricity used to power the typical EV is provided by burning fossil fuel.
As a result, it seems only fair that tax credits should be modified to represent the actual percentage of renewable energy used to power the vehicle. 13% of $7500 is $975, which should be the base line new EV purchase tax credit. Additional credits should only be issued to those who can provide proof to the IRS they are charging their vehicle with privately owned solar or wind power generation equipment.
EV Owners Should Walk the Walk
It’s time for all those self-righteous, liberal, country club Tesla owners to step up and walk the walk.
America has always been centered around free enterprise and consumer choice. If you want to buy an EV because you like the concept of an electric car, and are willing to pay full price, good for you. If you’re convinced your EV purchase is helping to save the planet (it isn’t) we’re all okay with that as well.
That said, don’t ask the rest of us to pay for your misguided effort to save the planet. At the very least, live up to your convictions and buy that $50k solar grid tie system so you can power your vehicle solely through renewable energy. Otherwise, forfeit the tax credit.
After all, it’s about everyone paying their “fair share,” right?
