According to Vancouver's Greenest City Action Plan, personal vehicle use accounts for 32% of the city's greenhouse gas emissions. As well, 70.8% of Metro Vancouver residents - myself included - commute to work in a personal vehicle.
How can we move people without the damaging emissions from fossil fuel-powered vehicles?
There are two main ways to address this issue, keeping in mind tax dollars are always limited: We can prioritize investing in electric vehicles or we can invest in better public transit, walking and biking infrastructure.
Bill Bennett, B.C.'s minister of energy and mines, recently announced the $10.6-million Clean Energy Vehicle program expansion, which will make electric cars more affordable. But are electric cars really the best solution?
Throughout this semester at SFU, I've been immersed in the discussion of energy and this question: How can we achieve a future powered by sustainable energy sources? I've met with a range of professionals: environmental lawyers, economists, activists, researchers, business owners and even representatives from the oil and gas sector. Each expert reveals a new a side of the story, making this the most complex problem I've come across in my four years of university.
Most people don't pay attention to where their energy comes from. While electric cars don't produce emissions as you are driving, they still require energy to charge their batteries. This means that electric cars are only as green as the electricity source in the region where they're driven.
Forty per cent of the world relies on coal for electricity, which is one of the highest carbon emitting fuel sources. State of Charge, a report assessing the impacts of electric vehicles, found that a fuel-efficient gasoline vehicle may produce less carbon emissions than an electric vehicle depending on where the car is charged.
Doesn't Vancouver's electricity come from hydroelectric dams? I wish it were that simple. B.C. is actually part of a larger energy grid that connects with neighbouring provinces and states to allow for the trade of electricity.
Alberta relies on coal for approximately 50% of its electricity. Unlike hydroelectric dams, coal plants can't easily be ramped up and down to control the amount of electricity produced. This means a surplus of electricity is generated at night when demand is lower. B.C. takes advantage of this by purchasing some of the excess electricity at a rate far below the daytime cost.
So when would Vancouverites charge their electric cars? Most people drive during the day. If car owners in Vancouver charge their cars at night from electricity generated by coal, our electric cars are no longer so green.
Carbon dioxide leads to the warming of our atmosphere. Scientists have established a carbon budget - the amount of carbon we are allowed to burn - before the Earth's temperature increases by 2 C. If we fail to meet this target, we can expect to experience more extreme weather events, such as heat waves and rising sea levels that will flood low-lying cities.
Unfortunately, we are on the path to spend what's left in our budget within 25 years.
Every bit of carbon emitted counts. We can't afford to invest in electric cars if some will be powered by coal. Until our electricity grid is powered by 100% renewable sources, we shouldn't be focusing our limited tax funds on electric cars.
Although electric cars are a step in the right direction, expensive government rebate programs for electric cars will only reach a small proportion of the population. Our tax dollars could be used more efficiently on a system that benefits everyone and maximizes reductions in carbon emissions. Investing in public transportation and infrastructure that encourages physical activity would address climate change and health while making the best use of our tax dollars.
Natalie Buglioni of Coquitlam is a fourth-year student at SFU currently in the Semester in Dialogue program, where she has been studying energy systems in Metro Vancouver.
