Electric Hybrid Cars Are Good for Your Health
A new study [www.epri-reports.org] reports that if electric plug-in hybrid vehicles accounted for a 60% market share annually, then that would result in the removal of 450 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions a year by 2050. American auto companies will need to take a major leadership role in order for this to occur. Some auto companies are beginning to work on plug-in electric hybrids, such as General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., DaimlerChrysler AG and Toyota Motor Corp.
The first obvious benefit would be a reduction in imported oil fuels. Financially speaking, money that would otherwise be spent on purchasing oil from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Brazil could be invested in electricity providers in the United States. Fuel providing companies like Exxon Mobil, Shell and BP would have to change their business strategies because less consumers would be buying fossil fuels. Electric companies would sell more overall electricity thereby allowing them to payoff the increased production facilities they would need to meet demand. The interesting fact about this study is that it does not require more than 4-7% increase in electrical output because of the fact that most people would plug in their electric hybrid in the evening hours when less power was being used anyway.
Another primary benefit to this scenario is drastically reduced air pollution. Smog would likely live only in history books and be the boogey man of the past. Respiratory conditions like asthma and lung cancer would be reduced among the general populace, which would alleviate the burden on the health care industry. The likelihood of acid rain would be decreased. You would also be able to charge up your car at your friend’s house rather than driving to the gas station. This scenario would probably result in greater interest in solar power, as solar panel production companies would likely make specialized products designed to charge up hybrids.
Consider sending emails to your state and federal representatives urging them to take a look at this report. Any politician who backs legislation that provides subsidies for auto companies and electricity plants would likely get major support from voters.
