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Page added on December 28, 2019
Your electric car and vegetarian diet are pointless virtue signaling in the fight against climate change
Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs, wash your clothes in cold water, eat less meat, recycle more, and buy an electric car: We are being bombarded with instructions from climate campaigners, environmentalists and the media about the everyday steps we all must take to tackle climate change.
Unfortunately, these appeals trivialize the challenge of global warming, and divert our attention from the huge technological and policy changes that are needed to combat it.
For example, the British nature-documentary presenter and environmental campaigner David Attenborough was once asked what he as an individual would do to fight climate change. He promised to unplug his phone charger when it wasn’t in use.
Attenborough’s heart is no doubt in the right place. But even if he consistently unplugs his charger for a year, the resulting reduction in carbon-dioxide emissions will be equivalent to less than one-half of one-thousandth of the average person’s annual CO2 emissions in the United Kingdom. Moreover, charging accounts for less than 1% of a phone’s energy needs; the other 99% is required to manufacture the handset and operate data centers and cell towers. Almost everywhere, these processes are heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
Although I am a vegetarian and don’t own a car, I believe we need to be honest about what such choices can achieve.
Attenborough is far from alone in believing that small gestures can have a meaningful impact on the climate. In fact, even much larger-sounding commitments deliver only limited reductions in CO2 emissions. For example, environmental activists emphasize the need to give up eating meat and driving fossil-fuel-powered cars. But, although I am a vegetarian and don’t own a car, I believe we need to be honest about what such choices can achieve.
Going vegetarian actually is quite difficult: One large U.S. survey indicates that 84% of people fail, most of them in less than a year. But a systematic peer-reviewed study has shown that, even if they succeed, their vegetarian diets reduce individual CO2 emissions by the equivalent of 540 kilos — or just 4.3% of the emissions of the average inhabitant of a developed country. Furthermore, there is a “rebound effect,” as money saved on cheaper vegetarian food is spent on goods and services that cause additional greenhouse-gas emissions. Once we account for this, going entirely vegetarian reduces a person’s total emissions by only 2%.
Likewise, electric cars are branded as environmentally friendly, but generating the electricity they require almost always involves burning fossil fuels. Moreover, producing energy-intensive batteries for these cars invariably generates significant CO2 emissions. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), an electric car with a range of 400 kilometers (249 miles) has a huge carbon deficit when it hits the road, and will start saving emissions only after being driven 60,000 kilometers. Yet, almost everywhere, people use an electric car as a second car and drive it shorter distances than equivalent gasoline vehicles.
Despite subsidies of about $10,000 per car, battery-powered electric cars represent less than one-third of 1% of the world’s 1 billion vehicles. The IEA estimates that with sustained political pressure and subsidies, electric cars could account for 15% of the much larger global fleet in 2040, but it notes that this increase in share will reduce global CO2 emissions by just 1%.
We already spend $129 billion per year subsidizing solar and wind energy, yet these sources meet just 1.1% of our global energy needs.
As IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol has said, “If you think you can save the climate with electric cars, you’re completely wrong.” In 2018, electric cars saved 40 million tons of CO2 worldwide, equivalent to reducing global temperatures by just 0.000018°C — or a little more than a hundred-thousandth of a degree Celsius — by the end of the century.
Individual actions to tackle climate change, even when added together, achieve so little because cheap and reliable energy underpins human prosperity. Fossil fuels currently meet 81% of our global energy needs. And even if every promised climate policy in the 2015 Paris climate agreement is achieved by 2040, they will still deliver 74% of the total.
We already spend $129 billion per year subsidizing solar and wind energy to try to entice more people to use today’s inefficient technology, yet these sources meet just 1.1% of our global energy needs. The IEA estimates that by 2040 — after we have spent a whopping $3.5 trillion on additional subsidies — solar and wind will still meet less than 5% of our needs.
The real action that’s needed
That’s pitiful. Significantly cutting CO2 emissions without reducing economic growth will require far more than individual actions. It is absurd for middle-class citizens in advanced economies to tell themselves that eating less steak or commuting in a Toyota TM, -0.18% Prius will rein in rising temperatures. To tackle global warming, we must make collective changes on an unprecedented scale.
By all means, anyone who wants to go vegetarian or switch to an electric car should do so, for sound reasons such as killing fewer animals or reducing household energy bills. But such decisions won’t solve the problem of global warming.
The one individual action that citizens could take that would make a difference would be to demand a vast increase in spending on green-energy research and development, so that these energy sources eventually become cheap enough to outcompete fossil fuels. That is the real way to help fight climate change.
Bjørn Lomborg, a visiting professor at the Copenhagen Business School, is director of the Copenhagen Consensus Center. His books include “The Skeptical Environmentalist,” “Cool It,” “How to Spend $75 Billion to Make the World a Better Place,” “The Nobel Laureates’ Guide to the Smartest Targets for the World,” and, most recently, “Prioritizing Development.” Follow him on Twitter @BjornLomborg. This column was first published by Project Syndicate — “Empty Gestures on Climate Change”.
54 Comments on "Your electric car and vegetarian diet are pointless virtue signaling in the fight against climate change"
Fred on Sat, 28th Dec 2019 2:55 pm
While Björn raises some good points, his suggestion that “more investment in green technologies” is what we should do, he omits touching on the reasons why we are in this predicament in the first place.
Which, IMHO, is the way our financial system is working, the terrible incentives it creates (to externalise costs), the rigging of the system by the elites (Soros stealing massive amounts of money from “the system”, ie ordinary people for example), banksters abusing our means of exchange to hide dodgy transactions, gambling with your money, taking the profits while offloading the risks to you, etc, etc.
Changes within the system, like all the other arguments Bjorn lists, won’t have the necessary effects, only systemic changes, a reduction of our living standards dare I say it and other fundamental changes to the way we live on this planet will have an effect. Carbon credits, once touted as a solution have had no effect, in fact carbon emissions still continue to increase every year.
Sure, do all the things that are mentioned, they all this make sense. But also start looking at fundamentally changing how you live. Better to get used to it before it’s being forced upon you: at that time making any meaningful change will be so much harder.
Cloggie on Sat, 28th Dec 2019 5:09 pm
This is the author, Bjørn Lomborg:
https://youtu.be/5QyXduteiWE
Anonymouse on Sat, 28th Dec 2019 8:05 pm
This is the troll, kloggkike ratstein:
https://i0.wp.com/muslimvoice.lk/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/scared-nervous-panic-sweaty-cry-desperate-jew-kike-yid-hebrew-tears-merchant.png?fit=354%2C504
dave thompson on Sat, 28th Dec 2019 10:25 pm
Humans have created a predicament of global proportions. There is no way out of a predicament.
JuanP on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 12:39 am
“The one individual action that citizens could take that would make a difference would be to demand a vast increase in spending on green-energy research and development.”
Nope, getting sterilized is the only truly meaningful action in today’s world, and helping others to do it. I had a Vasectomy decades ago. More energy won’t solve anything.
JuanP is stupid on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 8:09 am
“Nope, getting sterilized is the only truly meaningful action in today’s world, and helping others to do it. I had a Vasectomy decades ago. More energy won’t solve anything.”
OH, God, stupid want you to think you can fuck off like him if you get a vasectomy. LMFAO. the stupid fucker thinks life is so simple. What a dumbass
Sissyfuss on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 8:24 am
Agree completely, Juan. There is no mention in this article of adding 80 plus million more humans to an already overloaded planet heading into the 6th Mass Extinction. People are so brainwashed from birth with religion, politics, and economic theory that they will never realize how crucial a healthy biosphere is to their continuing existence.
tommytommywantshismommy on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:06 am
EVs are super heavy, need tires, need electricity and require current road infrastructure (lots of roads to maintain).. nope..not happening. 10’s of millions of Evs to replace fossils…nein… Get back to me when EVs are 10% of vehicles on the road… No meat? That is a personal choice. Too me meat adds flavor, but i try not to eat too much.
David Attenborough on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:13 am
Overpopulation will fuck us all!
LordBuckethead on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:16 am
Suvs are for faggots and this electric car thing is a joke
HillaryClinton on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:18 am
Everyone I know needs an SUV as there arse is too big to fit in an old car!!!
I will win the next election in Umurica and lead us all to a glorious new age of progressive inclusionismsismism.
Me Three!!
Bill Clinton on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:20 am
Get back in the kitchen and make me a samich!
Makati on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:24 am
I will buy a Jaguar I pace!
Fuck oil burning backwards peasants in the Phillipines!
Where I live even the lizards try to take your money!
Duncan Idaho on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 10:34 am
“Violence is as American as cherry pie.”
–H. Rap Brown
JuanP is stupid on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 11:17 am
More of the daily stupid shit from you know who.
This is from stupid:
Makati said I will buy a Jaguar I pace! Fuck oil burning backw…
Bill Clinton said Get back in the kitchen and make me a samich!
HillaryClinton said Everyone I know needs an SUV as there arse is too…
LordBuckethead said Suvs are for faggots and this electric car thing i…
David Attenborough said Overpopulation will fuck us all!
Greta Thurnberg said Jews will burn !
KikeBurna said The fat stupid yanks are blind to the jew filth th…
tommytommywantshismommy said EVs are super heavy, need tires, need electricity…
Sissyfuss on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 6:11 pm
Nice find, Duncan.
JuanP on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 6:22 pm
Yea, sissyfuss, nice find that Duncan found
Davy on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 8:39 pm
Yeap. Nice find Idaho!
REAL Green on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 8:42 pm
Yeap aint a real wurd Davy.
Davy on Sun, 29th Dec 2019 8:51 pm
Yeaps a real wurd to us REAL Green.
so there
stupid
Anonymouse on Mon, 30th Dec 2019 10:53 pm
I was wondering, does or would, kloggAnus’s kosher diet help fight climate change? Or is he just signaling out his arse…..again?
No point in asking about his ‘green’ car, since he does not own, or plan to plan to own, anything like a ‘green car’ (oxymoron there), or a anything green, period. Even if he had the means.
Except for maybe the leftovers in his fridge.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:00 am
Your so stupid Annoymouse. Cloggo doesn’t pretend to be REAL Green. Only me n REAL Green do that.
dumbass
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:19 am
Were not real Davy. Were imaginary.
You made us up all by yerselves.
stupid
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:43 am
Dont call us stupid Green. We can make you unREAL as quick as we made you REAL. And dont you ferget it.
vaginacuntcheeks
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 3:23 am
I figgered it was just a manner of time before you n me got into it Davy. We cant git along with nobody,
twatlips
JuanP is stupid on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 3:43 am
Nightly mindless and stupid
this is from stupid:
REAL Green said I figgered it was just a manner of time before you…
Davy said Dont call us stupid Green. We can make you unREAL…
REAL Green said Were not real Davy. Were imaginary. You made us up…
Davy said Your so stupid Annoymouse. Cloggo doesn’t pretend…
ANAL REAPER said Fuck all you niggers
REAL Green said Yah no Davy. I’m yer bestest freind in the hole wi…
Davy said Fuck you Juan pee pee. Global research tells the t…
REAL Green said JuanPs write Davy. Fuckin like a rat n bringing mo…
Davy said Did I tell you guys how I added to the over popula…
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:10 am
Us n JuanP is stupid has had enough of are shit Davy.
Were goin down.
dumbass
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:16 am
But…. REAL Green? You n me were always so tite?
WTF?
JuanP is stupid on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:21 am
REAL Greens write Davy. Were going down.
stupid
Famlin on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 12:41 pm
“battery-powered electric cars represent less than one-third of 1% of the world’s 1 billion vehicles”
First of all there are 1.5 billion vehicles in the world today.
This year, share of electric vehicles stands at 2.2% and as the years pass, this will gradually increase and will reduce the need for oil drastically since electric vehicles travel 3-4 times the distance for a given amount of energy.
http://ev-sales.blogspot.com/search/label/World
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 12:49 pm
“electric vehicles travel 3-4 times the distance for a given amount of energy.”
That’s a bogus number
Famlin on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 12:55 pm
Before investing in fossil fuels, read this article to see what you will get in return.
https://cleantechnica.com/2019/12/31/investing-in-fossil-fuels-burying-your-money-20th-century-fuel-is-staying-in-the-ground/
Famlin on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 1:03 pm
Mr. Davy
In 1 gallon of gas, 33 KWh of electricity is generated in a power plant.
In that 33 KWh of electricity, an electric vehicle goes 120 – 140 miles. But if you fill your gasser with 1 gallon, it will go only 30 miles and thats how you get 3-4 times the distance.
Here is proof from http://www.fueleconomy.gov which is a US government website.
https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=42278
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:01 pm
Famlin, first of all gas is not burned in power plants. Second there is conversion losses producing power, sending over wires, and then there is losses when you charge the battery. Get responsible with your Numbers and get back to me
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:08 pm
How cum everyone gots to be write all the time and I’m always wrong? Its just not fare.
Cloggie on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:12 pm
“electric vehicles travel 3-4 times the distance for a given amount of energy.”
That’s a bogus number
So what, according to you, IS a more realistic number?
Just kidding.
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2019/12/08/renault-k-ze-the-poor-mans-tesla/
27 kWh for 271 km, or 10 km for 1 kWh.
https://deepresource.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/energy-related-conversion-factors/
A comparable gasoline car will drive 15 km on 1 liter gasoline. The energy content of 1 liter of gasoline is about 10 kWh.
In other words to drive 10 km with a gasoline car I need 0.66 liter gasoline, that comes with an energy content of 6.6 kWh.
So, the difference on the basis of the numbers presented, the difference in efficiency is not 3-4 but 1-7 to the advantage of the e-vehicle. If our gasoline car would have a fuel efficiency of 20 km per liter we would end up with ca. 1-5.
Now repeat after me: the renewable energy economy is never going to work. Not “dense” enough.
ROFL.
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 2:13 pm
Cus we aren’t real good at listenin Davy and we think we no everything already. We dont.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 3:33 pm
Cloggo, you are cherry picking the numbers. The physics of electric and ice are easy. It is the other issues that come into play that throw your pretty numbers off. The energy vectors for electrics are the problem. If we could plug ev’s into an efficient grid directly then the numbers work well. Add in batteries and all the grid issues the number go down. 1-7 is bogus as is 1-3 or 4 looking at the picture holistically. Reality should explain it. EV do not make economic sense except in narrow applications.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 3:59 pm
Oops, sorry cloggo. I see now we were talkin bout distance driven for a given amount of energy.
nevermind……
Cloggie on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:04 pm
“The physics of electric and ice are easy.”
It is. Fortunately we have you around to muddy the waters with your usual smoke-screen language. There we go:
“The energy vectors for electrics are the problem.”
Wtf is an “energy vector”? I don’t know and neither do you. Words purely designed to obfuscate. Trying to look authoritative where in reality you have no clue. Empire dave: ”bluffing your way into energy consultancy in 24 hours.”
“If we could plug ev’s into an efficient grid directly then the numbers work well.”
What’s an inefficient grid? My recommendation would be to use efficient grids only.
Seriously, grid losses are typically in the range of 1%. Your point?
“Add in batteries and all the grid issues the number go down.“
Hardly:
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/comparing_the_battery_with_other_power_sources
Li-ion efficiency 99%.
”1-7 is bogus as is 1-3 or 4 looking at the picture holistically. Reality should explain it.”
I just showed it isn’t bogus.
“EV do not make economic sense except in narrow applications.”
Sure; the largest car producer in the world, Volkswagen, is going full throttle electro, and an uneducated nobody from the Ozarks claims that it is all for naught.
What you should do is stick with your goat expertise and stay away from energy.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:21 pm
“Wtf is an “energy vector”
cloggo, you don’t like muddy waters with anything unless you are trashing something. The vectors are the delivery systems, dummy. You know that. The reason I know you are worried about battery electric is you are now touting hydrogen. You understand subconsciously electric transport is doomed to a narrow range of applications in regards to best value looking at the “WHOLE” picture not the cherry picked text book physics of it. You and Antius have gone over this topic numerous times and he has proved your number weak when the whole picture is presented. I am pro renewables and electric transport but with realism of the actual costs and benefits. I am not lost in FAKE Green deception and delusions that try to explain away all the negatives that effect the true value of BEV’s.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:26 pm
“In 1 gallon of gas, 33 KWh of electricity is generated in a power plant.
In that 33 KWh of electricity, an electric vehicle goes 120 – 140 miles. But if you fill your gasser with 1 gallon, it will go only 30 miles and thats how you get 3-4 times the distance.”
So cloggo, analyse this comment. You are saying if you burn a gallon of gas in a power plant run it through a grid and then charge a battery then use the battery to drive the vehicle that is more efficient than just using that one gallon of gas in an ice vehicle in the first place. That is 3-4 times more efficient or 7 like you say??? That is how the comment originated.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:30 pm
“Now repeat after me: the renewable energy economy is never going to work. Not “dense” enough. ROFL.”
No way cloggo, not even close for a 100% renewable economy that can replicate itseslf.
ROFL BACK AT YOU
JuanP is stupid on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:32 pm
Stupid he is too stupid to contribute to the comment because he is not smart enough to understand the issues so he ID thefts the conversation.
This is from stupid:
Davy said Oops, sorry cloggo. I see now we were talkin bout…
REAL Green said Cus we aren’t real good at listenin Davy and we th…
Davy said How cum everyone gots to be write all the time and…
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:36 pm
Dang. Looks like I lost another debate again.
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 4:51 pm
Whats itseslf meen Davy?
JuanP is stupid on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 5:05 pm
Stupid, aren’t you going out and getting drunk tonight with your boyfriends?
This is from stupid:
REAL Green said Whats itseslf meen Davy?
Davy said Dang. Looks like I lost another debate again.
Cloggie on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 5:10 pm
Nieuw jaar in Holland.
De beste wensen en een gelukkig nieuwjaar!
REAL Green on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 5:21 pm
Do we hafta hang out with the goats agin tonight Davy?
There drivin us crazy.
Davy on Tue, 31st Dec 2019 5:48 pm
“2019 Greatest Hits: The Most Popular Articles Of The Past Year And A Look Ahead”
https://tinyurl.com/wnn8bfu zero hedge
“In 15th spot, and going back to the propaganda front that is US mainstream “media”, we quoted a CBS News reporter who said “I’m Committing Professional Suicide” after admitting that “Mostly Liberal” Journalists Are Now “Political Activists.” Nearly 420,000 readers heard CBS reporter Laura Logan admitting that “the media everywhere is mostly liberal, not just the U.S.,” adding that it was nearly impossible for viewers to decipher if they were being told the truth at any given time. She also admitted that journalists today are more or less lobbyists for liberal interests, adding that the weight of the liberal media machine overwhelms “the other side” unless people actively seek outlets such as Breitbart. With more and more lies emerging from the mainstream, it is hardly a surprise that that’s precisely what people are doing.”