Are we losing the EV Revolution?

[luebri]

If people put their money where their mouth is on climate change,

What about taking my private plane to Davos, because I “offset” in other areas. Am I good then?

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[Toby57]

What about taking my private plane to Davos, because I “offset” in other areas. Am I good then?

Do as I say. Not as I do.

 

[Losi]

I think the term I'm flirting with is "virtue signaling." If people put their money where their mouth is on climate change, this forum would be much smaller. The Chevy Bolt forum might be a better place to talk about the green movement.

I know that some use the truck as a truck, but really, if you don't use it in your work, then maybe you don't really need to do those things that you "need" the truck for. I mean if the planet is dying, do we need to be towing boats to the lake, etc.?

For some, it is virtue signaling, for others it’s a genuine concern about what’s going on with our climate and a desire to change in small but significant ways. I don’t see it as a zero sum game where we drop everything about our lifestyle; the change will be incremental—transitioning from the ICE and reducing CO2 emissions would be a big step forward. Whether the change happens fast enough remains to be seen. There’s a host of problems in battery manufacturing, but on balance it’s cleaner and more sustainable than its ICE counterpart.

I would argue that the nature of politics is about debating the best policies to deal with issues in the world.

Climate change is real and is happening. The political debate should be how we deal with that in the best way for the country while weighing all the pros and cons. I would love to have that debate, though I know that gets sensitive online.

It is absolutely real, ask my sister in NorCal who’s had to battle wildfires that are increasing in intensity and number. We moved to Virginia not too long ago and we haven’t seen any snow since we’ve been here. Some would argue, well the climate has undergone temperature fluctuations forever, this is just another cycle. I’m not a scientist, but you can look at the effects of the industrial revolution and draw your own conclusions—the effects are dramatic and not coincidental; the world has never seen anything like what we are doing.

 

[luebri]

I’m not a scientist, but you can look at the effects of the industrial revolution and draw your own conclusions—the effects are dramatic and not coincidental; the world has never seen anything like what we are doing.

Your data set (Industrial Revolution to now) in the grand scheme of the age of the planet is Infinitesimal, is it not?

Also I would appreciate if someone could tell me what the ideal temp of the planet is? and whom authorized the source of that temperature to decide it.

 

[Losi]

Your data set (Industrial Revolution to now) in the grand scheme of the age of the planet is Infinitesimal, is it not?

Also I would appreciate if someone could tell me what the ideal temp of the planet is? and whom authorized the source of that temperature to decide it.

You’d have to consult scientists for that information, I’m pretty sure they’ve reached a broad consensus on what that number is and the effects of warming temps. If push comes to shove, we can always sharpie whatever values we want for any geographical area.

 

[Texas Dan]

Lots of talk here about if and whether switching to EV's is a necessary step to "save the planet." The post a few above this one, about electricity being free and easy to produce, got me thinking...I have solar on my roof, but it doesn't come close to powering my 4,000 sq. ft. home, much less my 7,000 pound truck. So the big prize in "saving the planet" is not to buy an EV F150 instead of an ICE F150. It's to not buy an F150.

How many of us are willing to give up our creature comforts to reduce our carbon footprint? For instance, my sister and her husband who talk the talk on climate change just spent quite a bit of money remodeling their fancy 4 bedroom house. They are empty nesters. Why didn't they move to a tiny home instead? That remodel had a big carbon footprint.

I suspect that, since we are driving massive electric trucks instead of Toyota Yarises and Nissan Leafs, like they do in Europe, not many of us on this forum are doing all that they can do avoid the "impending doom" that they believe is coming.

I think the term I'm flirting with is "virtue signaling." If people put their money where their mouth is on climate change, this forum would be much smaller. The Chevy Bolt forum might be a better place to talk about the green movement.

I know that some use the truck as a truck, but really, if you don't use it in your work, then maybe you don't really need to do those things that you "need" the truck for. I mean if the planet is dying, do we need to be towing boats to the lake, etc.?

I’m not a big fan of conservation. In my mind the term conservation means sacrificing things that are important to you because someone else decided that was best. I believe much more in progress than conservation.

Texas has so many paradoxes. On the one hand the Texas economy is heavily dependent on the petroleum industry and on the other hand it has a deregulated electricity market that allows you to purchase 100% renewable energy. I have a 100% renewable energy contract that I use to power my Lightning.

Since I use 100% renewable energy, I’m not ashamed of the amount of electricity my Lightning consumes, quite the contrary. Since I have increased the demand for renewable energy with powering my Lightning, the power companies will follow that demand and make more renewable energy available. Also, driving around town my big, heavy, electric Lightning is more energy efficient than the most fuel efficient gasoline econoboxes.

So don’t tell me that I need to sell my Lightning and buy a gasoline econobox to save the planet, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

Your data set (Industrial Revolution to now) in the grand scheme of the age of the planet is Infinitesimal, is it not?

Also I would appreciate if someone could tell me what the ideal temp of the planet is? and whom authorized the source of that temperature to decide it.

I have long been a "climate skeptic." I have a hard time with the idea that scientists can even measure the world's temperature. That's a monumental task. When you look into it, you will see that many temperatures have been adjusted. I have seen scientific forums with deep arguments on how to adjust which thermometer and how much. If there is any overlap between their statistical error and the temperatures at which "the earth will burn up" then it's all garbage science.

That said, it is hard to ignore some elements of a changing climate. The polar ice melting is a good example. Wildfires in the west are a very poor example. Global sea surface temperature elevation is a good example. The resultant rapid intensification of hurricanes is a good example. The overall frequency and severity of hurricanes is a very poor example, and is specifically cited by the IPCC as NOT having a measurable change.

So, when people give examples of climate change, I do wish they had done their research. We hear all the time that storms are more common and more intense as a result of climate change, and it's simply not true. What the media puts out is absolute garbage.

I don't think I know for sure yet the implications of industrial revolution CO2 change on our climate. I don't think anyone else knows either. I appreciate the people who are trying to figure it out. I don't appreciate the "consensus" that it's settled science that if we don't get off fossil fuels now, the earth will burn to a crisp. For starters, we CAN'T get off fossil fuels without a return to a standard of living that would cause far more deaths than climate change...but in the spirit of humility that I wish others would follow (including our scientific experts), I can't be sure of that. A little less arrogance on both sides would be helpful.

 

[MM in SouthTX]

I’m not a big fan of conservation. In my mind the term conservation means sacrificing things that are important to you because someone else decided that was best. I believe much more in progress than conservation.

Texas has so many paradoxes. On the one hand the Texas economy is heavily dependent on the petroleum industry and on the other hand it has a deregulated electricity market that allows you to purchase 100% renewable energy. I have a 100% renewable energy contract that I use to power my Lightning.

Since I use 100% renewable energy, I’m not ashamed of the amount of electricity my Lightning consumes, quite the contrary. Since I have increased the demand for renewable energy with powering my Lightning, the power companies will follow that demand and make more renewable energy available. Also, driving around town my big, heavy, electric Lightning is more energy efficient than the most fuel efficient gasoline econoboxes.

So don’t tell me that I need to sell my Lightning and buy a gasoline econobox to save the planet, you don’t know what you’re talking about.

I would argue that the environmental impact of the production of your Lightning (which is huge) could have been avoided entirely by continuing to fix up whatever you were driving. We bought luxury vehicles that we didn't need to buy. It's all about making sacrifices. I didn't make the sacrifice. I bought the truck.

And the green movement IS all about others telling me what's best. If you don't want to make the sacrifice, that's fine. It's not me telling you what to do.

 

[John Becker]

Where can I get a "Virtue Signaling" bumper sticker for my 2023 F150 Lightning Lariat SR? Maybe another one that says "Woke-Mobile"?

 

[Texas Dan]

I have long been a "climate skeptic." I have a hard time with the idea that scientists can even measure the world's temperature. That's a monumental task. When you look into it, you will see that many temperatures have been adjusted. I have seen scientific forums with deep arguments on how to adjust which thermometer and how much. If there is any overlap between their statistical error and the temperatures at which "the earth will burn up" then it's all garbage science.

That said, it is hard to ignore some elements of a changing climate. The polar ice melting is a good example. Wildfires in the west are a very poor example. Global sea surface temperature elevation is a good example. The resultant rapid intensification of hurricanes is a good example. The overall frequency and severity of hurricanes is a very poor example, and is specifically cited by the IPCC as NOT having a measurable change.

So, when people give examples of climate change, I do wish they had done their research. We hear all the time that storms are more common and more intense as a result of climate change, and it's simply not true. What the media puts out is absolute garbage.

I don't think I know for sure yet the implications of industrial revolution CO2 change on our climate. I don't think anyone else knows either. I appreciate the people who are trying to figure it out. I don't appreciate the "consensus" that it's settled science that if we don't get off fossil fuels now, the earth will burn to a crisp. For starters, we CAN'T get off fossil fuels without a return to a standard of living that would cause far more deaths than climate change...but in the spirit of humility that I wish others would follow (including our scientific experts), I can't be sure of that. A little less arrogance on both sides would be helpful.

The scientists say that there have been five mass extinction events on Earth in the last 500 million years. A mass extinction event is where 90% of all species, plants and animals, disappear. One of those mass extinction event was caused by very high CO2 levels that raised the average temperature on the planet by 50 degrees.

CO2 levels are rising faster than ever before in recorded history. Since the trend is known, it’s fairly easy to predict when people will have to start migrating closer to the poles because latitudes near the equator will be too hot to live. The only reason you don’t believe the science is because you have been unwilling to take a serious look at the science yourself.

Personally climate change doesn’t worry me that much, it’s hard to get excited about changes that are going to happen over centuries or millennia. What does concern me is making sure my generation leaves behind a sustainable future for our children and grandchildren. If getting on the climate change bandwagon promotes a more sustainable future then I’m on board.

 

[ctuan13]

Great video. Wondering is pulling fuse #32 does the same thing as disconnecting the modem? Just a little more convenient.

Well on the higher trim trucks, the fuse for the TCU circuit is shared with the power tailgate module. But if you have a lower trim truck with a manual tailgate then that is probably easier.

 

[Newton]

Also I would appreciate if someone could tell me what the ideal temp of the planet is? and whom authorized the source of that temperature to decide it.

For selfish reasons, I'd prefer that the temperature band be in a range that is compatible with human life, and a temperature that can sustain industrial agriculture would be a big bonus.

Carbon Dioxide levels are already higher than they have in human history and are headed to higher levels than Mammals have ever experienced. Many parts of the the earth are already experiencing summers with too high of a heat index for humans to survive, and the number of those areas are increasing.. I can drive to a glacier that has retreated significantly in my lifetime, what was once glacier is now parking area.

Two years ago the temperature hit 106 degrees at my house in a coastal area renowned for cold, damp summers. When the tide went out it literally cooked the clams and oysters (the stench was incredible.) The fishery has not really recovered yet.

The fact that the earth's temperature changes should not be comfortable for the proponents of the status quo, because core samples show that the earth has already experienced temperatures in another mass extinction event (caused by carbon) that are not compatible with human civilization.

More carbon in atmosphere than in human history

Around four million years ago, during the Pliocene Climatic Optimum, carbon dioxide levels were similar—close to or above 400 ppm, per NOAA. The earth was seven degrees hotter, ice caps at both the North and South Poles nearly completely melted and sea levels were 16 to 82 feet higher, high enough to submerge many major cities, the administration says. Paleoclimatologists can learn about past climates by looking at tree rings, ice cores, and mineral and element compositions in sediment core samples as well analyzing plant and animal remains. Particularly useful are forams and diatoms, shelled creatures that frequently record climate conditions in the compositions of their shells.​

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Now maybe you believe that some deity will intervene to protect their favored species but there is little about our behavior that would lead me to think that any diety would bother to rescue us. History disproves the idea that the world was ever designed with our comfort in mind, so I think our survival is entirely up to us. Switching to EVs is a small but important step.

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[davehu]

You are not the only one.

not by a long shot

 

[Losi]

I’ve had my XLT SR for about a month, living on a military installation and not paying for electricity or any utilities (thank you, Uncle Sam). When I hop, or really fold myself in my wife’s new(ish) Kia Telluride (I’m pretty tall), a vehicle I used to think was smooth and quiet, I was kind of shocked by, well, how it wasn’t so much—it felt ungainly to drive. If I happen to save the planet AND enjoy a far superior ride, all while maintaining my insufferable liberal leanings, I’m cool with that.

 

[Henry Ford]

The Dunning-Kruger effect.

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