this post was submitted on 02 Mar 2026
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Climate
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Discussion of climate, how it is changing, activism around that, the politics, and the energy systems change we need in order to stabilize things.
As a starting point, the burning of fossil fuels, and to a lesser extent deforestation and release of methane are responsible for the warming in recent decades:
How much each change to the atmosphere has warmed the world:
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It depends on the electricity fuel blend. So in the past if you had a lot of coal it could take a long time to "pay back" the carbon cost of a new EV. But as more and more renewables are coming online that payback period is getting shorter and shorter. In most places if they've put at least some effort into bringing down carbon emissions, EVs are a substantial improvement.
Of course, walking, biking, transit are all far superior. But if those aren't viable for some trips then EV is the next best option.
I mean, 21% renewable isn’t great. And I’d argue hydro has some environmental impact.
They all have environmental impacts but every serious modern study I've seen concludes EVs are better, often substantially better.