Chemistry-Week 6-Zero Emissions

We have large vehicles right here in the Bay Area running on zero emissions. Some of the AC Transit busses run on zero emissions. I think it is very possible to get more larger vehicles running on zero emissions. It is a costly process which is why not all of the busses are zero emission yet. I think it's a matter of cost and time. These are important factors. The means need to be affordable and then the use needs to be frequent enough so that it makes sense.
In order to have larger vehicles that will travel thousands of miles, fueling locations will need to be built which also cost a lot of money and resources. Also, this kind of change can't just happen overnight. It takes years. State and national funding need to go into these kinds of zero emissions production and that is where wealthy and powerful companies that support fossil fuels will probably not be on board with these progressive plans.

Comments

Thomas Thompson said…
Hard to believe, but we actually have a fair bit of larger zero emission busses and an electric street car in Oklahoma City which didn't get much use before Covid-19 and can only imagine even less currently. The majority of people in Oklahoma don't use public transport, however. We recently consolidated to one vehicle so when I was teaching at Oklahoma City University I'd take the bus into the city and back home. I'm still kicking myself for never doing it before this time. I can never imagine driving to the city ever again. We have too big of an oil lobby for the time being in my opinion to be able to make a dent and change the emissions in a meaningful way. It seems as if we have to have things just bad enough to take action.
June 17, 2020 at 11:11 AM
DB_28 said…
I feel like I knew some buses are zero emissions but I did not always register what that meant. It is amazing that this process of zero emission has started and can continue. And i think you are right, it is about time and integrating it more and more gradually. I just hope it is fast enough so that we can see the positive effects within our life times rather than making the later generations be the ones who have to handle all the problems that have been created.
July 1, 2020 at 12:39 AM
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