Newsom’s insistence on electric vehicles ignores environmental, human rights consequences

Gov. Newsom’s pushing “green energy” electric cars, but these vehicles aren’t as innocuous as they appear. Consultant Timothy L. Coyle explains electric vehicles’ dangers to the environment. For instance, over 50% of parts are made from plastic. Furthermore, most nickel, lithium, and manganese—key elements of electric car batteries—are sourced from countries that exploit child/adult laborers. How “green” and ethical are electric vehicles? Coyle asks. To receive daily updates of new Opp Now stories, click here.

Let us get some of the bad news out of the way first. The following is a partial list of items in an electric vehicle that come from hydrocarbons (oil and gas). Hint — plastic is made from hydrocarbons, but it is not the only petroleum product used on electric vehicles. Tires, belts, hoses, all electrical wires are coated in plastic including battery wires, power steering fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, coolant for air-conditioning, transmission fluid, all plastics in the engine compartment which are too many to begin to list as most newer cars motors are shrouded in plastic. Carbon fiber, fiberglass, most fenders, many grills, windshield wipers, sealants around windows and undercarriage, some side panels, and all paint. Steering wheel, kick panels, air bag, dashboard, carpet, door handles, switches, most parts of the seat that are not leather, center console. I will stop here but point out that there are a lot of components made from oil besides the on average 1,000 parts made of plastic, or nearly 50 percent of a vehicles volume on the average electric vehicle. 

Now for the darker side of the proposed EV solution to the world’s emission problems. A Tesla Model S battery is made with lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, and weighs approximately 1,000 pounds as compared with a standard 40 to 50-pound lead-acid battery found in most internally combustion vehicles. 

Lithium, of which more than 50 percent is sourced from the Lithium Triangle in South America, which covers parts of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. Today 20% of cobalt is mined by hand. Amnesty International has documented children and adults mining cobalt in narrow man-made tunnels, at risk of fatal accidents and serious lung disease.

Cobalt, of which about 70 percent is sourced from one country, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in Africa, followed by Russia, Cuba, Australia, and the Philippines. If you wish to get depressed, do an internet search for “Congo cobalt slavery.” This cobalt also powers our lithium-ion cellphone batteries, so do not focus your wrath on just electric vehicle batteries. Children as young as 6-years-old “work” for about 65 cents per day under horrid conditions. China runs many of the industrial mines and plants there. 

This article originally appeared in Fox & Hounds Daily. Read the whole thing here.

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