We’ve all heard the pitch: Buy an EV car, switch to electrical appliances, install solar
panels– environmentally responsible changes consumers are encouraged to make to
help combat climate change. But it isn’t always that straight forward.
Sure, purchasing an electric vehicle will save you money at the pump. And of course,
there are the environmental benefits of lowering greenhouse gas emissions and
reducing air pollution. However, the lithium-ion batteries used in EV cars have come
under scrutiny “for the not so eco-friendly way the materials for them are mined… it
takes 500,000 gallons of water to refine one ton of lithium“ (Greencars.com).
Additionally, disposing of these batteries is a challenge as they contain toxic materials
and can catch fire if they are not disposed of properly. On the positive side, as
technology improves so do the types of “greener” batteries, making electric vehicles the
more environmentally responsible option in the long run.
“Gas vs electric” is the raging debate homeowners wrestle with when purchasing or
renovating a home. In general, electrical appliances are more efficient, safer and
“cleaner”. Homeowners can eliminate gas, reduce emissions, and lower utility bills with
convection appliances, electric heat pumps and tankless hot water heaters. Some will
ask, ‘if the electricity we use comes from power plants burning fossil fuels, how is
switching to electricity an improvement?’ Because through industry standards and
regulations, power plants have emissions controls. They are not perfect, but they are
better than what we have when we run our gas stove. And power plants may use fossil
fuel, but they also can harvest hydro, wind and solar power to provide electricity to their
customers. Progress is being made.
Let’s look at solar panels. The benefits of solar panels are obvious (clean, renewable
energy, money saving) but what is often overlooked is how these choices affect the grid
itself and the community at large. According to Fresh Energy, “our current… system was
built for the fossil fuel age and is ill-equipped for the clean energy era we are moving
toward.“ Grid modernization takes time and money. The question remains on whom the
burden of those costs will fall. While the cost of solar panels is becoming increasingly
more affordable, solar is still mostly reserved for higher income single family
households, excluding low-income communities, renters, and condos. That has created
a dynamic where the higher income homeowners are paying less into the grid and “the
lower-income customers now bear a higher financial burden from electric bills,”
according to Canary Media. Non-profit and community groups are addressing some
of these imbalances by exploring community shared solar power. As the push towards
solar energy continues, the costs for purchasing, installing and maintaining solar panels
will continue to be more affordable and widespread.
