In a message dated 97-02-02 07:32:16 EST, jroverca@tiac.net (Ross Overcash)
writes:
SNIP
> Someone has made the claim that electric cars will produce MORE
>pollution, at least in the lead department, than a car burning leaded
>fuel. I'd be curious how, since lead-acid batteries don't gas off
>lead, and lead recycling from lead-acid batteries is one of the
>oldest and most successful recycling programs in existence. Many of
>these cars don't even use lead-acid batteries at all.
> Lastly, don't forget that there is one case where an electric
>car IS zero-emissions-- Stopped in traffic. <
SNIP
I remember attending a joint EPA / Industry seminar in the mid sevenities.
The case study offered by one of the Industry representatives was about the
major "clean-up" of a large plant (3M, I believe) that actually had a
negative impact on the environment. It simply increased and moved the
pollution from that one large plant to it's electric company (it now used
more power to produce the same amount of product) and hundreds of vendors who
made all of the additional equipment, filters and chemicals that the plant
now consumed. It was an interesting day.
The lead used in most of the batteries for an electric car is very toxic, the
sulphric acid in the batteries is also toxic and a lot of polution from the
manufacture of these batteries will be increased as more an more of these
large batteries will need to be produced. A large lead acid battery will only
last about five years and the replacement will probably cost three to five
thousand dollars. Other, more exotic batteries also use toxic materials.
I think we need to be very careful of getting swept away with electric
vehicle enthusiasium. It may be OK for certain situations but, it doesn't
solve all of our problems by a long shot unless there is a significant break
through in a power source
Remember the trunk mounted, beer can eating fusion reactor in Back to the
Future? Now that would probably do it!
R. Johnson - Dallas
'90 Maine Coon
'79 Midget
'76 Midget
'73 MGB
|