Solving the Climate Crisis

As car emissions are a major contributor to our climate problem, here are three unrelated reports about positive action now being taken to solve this crisis. One keys to individual action, one to corporate action, and one to government action. All report positive outcomes. Comments afterwards.

 

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‘Net zero hero’ myth unfairly shifts burden of

solving climate crisis on to individuals, study finds

 

Shifting responsibility to consumers minimises the role of energy

industry and policymakers, University of Sydney research suggests

 

Greg Jericho

Australian Associated Press

18 Jan 2025

 

It’s not unusual to see individuals championed as heroes of climate action, with their efforts to install rooftop solar and buy electric cars promoted as pivotal in the fight to save the planet.

Hero figures can motivate others to follow suit, but a University of Sydney study suggests the way the energy sector shapes this narrative sets individuals up to fail.

Assoc Prof Tom van Laer, a co-author of the study, said the “net zero hero” story could be understood as the latest evolution in a long history of industry shifting environmental responsibility on to individuals.

The beverage industry was early to the game, promoting recycling to shift the burden of waste disposal on to consumers in the 1970s.

Van Laer said the “net zero hero” narrative was prevalent in the many public reports, press releases and documents published by energy companies and policymakers. He said …

 

“These include encouraging behaviours

like turning off unneeded appliances

and upgrading to more efficient ones,

framed as crucial personal contributions

towards broader emission reduction goals.

 

“However, such promotions often downplay the

sector’s own significant role in reducing emissions.”

 

Electricity generation is responsible for close to half of Australia’s emissions, based on 2021 International Energy Agency estimates, with transport and industry also major emitters.

Van Laer said individual climate warriors could be motivational and had helped drive a number of grassroots movements.

But when individuals are put on a pedestal in the absence of tangible corporate and government policies to decarbonise, these narratives can breed feelings of helplessness and disengagement rather than empowerment.

The study cited a plastic bag ban in Chile as an example of putting the burden on the consumer without appropriately acknowledging the systemic, market-wide change needed to move the needle on waste. Van Laer said …

 

“Consumers don’t fall for that kind of

scheme. They’re like, well, you know, if

you’re not doing anything, why should we?”

 

After analyzing hundreds of documents, the researchers want the energy sector to recognise that heroes don’t usually act alone.

The typical hero’s journey recognisable from books and films involves an individual facing insurmountable odds that are overcome with the help of friends and allies.

In the context of the energy market, Van Laer said, storytelling should emphasize the role of companies and governments alongside individuals. he said …

 

“At the moment, it’s not presented that

way, it’s like ‘you, consumer, you can do

this on your own and then we [companies]

will fall in line. And that’s a very tough sell.”

 

Van Laer said those wanting to take individual action should not feel disempowered but recommended contextualising efforts to electrify homes or install solar alongside the role of industry and government.

 

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The article suggests that widespread solar power and e-car transformation is actually happening, but pleads for government and corporations to do more. 

Next, here’s a second report, about the transformation to electric cars that’s almost totally completed in Norway … 

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Electric cars took 89% of Norway market in 2024

 

Agence France-Presse

January 2, 2025

 

Electric cars accounted for 89 percent of the new cars sold in Norway last year, a report said Thursday, pushing the country closer to reaching its goal of going fully electric by 2025. The Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) said in a statement …

 

“We need only 10 percent more

to reach the objective for 2025.”

 

Of the 128,691 new car registrations last year, 114,400 were electric, the highest share of any major national car market and up from an 82-percent share in 2023.

Despite being a major oil and gas producer, Norway aims for all new cars sold to be “zero emission” starting in 2025, which is 10 years ahead of the goal set by the European Union, of which Norway is not a member.

In 2012, electric cars accounted for just 2.8 percent of sales, but they have since exploded thanks to various incentives.

Electric cars were exempted from many taxes, making them competitive against heavily taxed internal combustion cars. They have also benefitted from toll exemptions, free parking in public car parks, and the use of public transport traffic lanes.

While some tax breaks and incentives have been rolled back over the years, electric cars have become commonplace. Oyvind Solberg Thorsen, director of OFV, said in a press release …

 

“It is crucial to maintain the incentives

that favour the purchase of electric cars

if the government and parliament are to

achieve the goal they themselves set.”

 

Tesla is the leading electric car company in Norway, with 19 percent of the market, followed by Volkswagen, Toyota, Volvo and BMW. Thorsen said …

 

“In 2025, it will be interesting to see

whether new Chinese brands and

models will manage to strengthen

their position among buyers.”

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 And third, here’s a report about a private sector initiative now happening in the UK … 

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Amazon makes ‘largest ever’ UK order of

electric trucks to cut carbon emissions

 

Online retailer will also begin its first large-scale

deliveries by train and trial heavy post-style carts.

 

Sarah Butler

The Guardian

Tue 14 Jan 2025

 

Amazon is to deploy nearly 150 electric heavy goods vehicles as well as piling packages on to trains and post-style trolleys in an effort to reduce the carbon footprint of delivering goods in the UK.

The tech company said it had bought more than 140 electric Mercedes-Benz heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) and eight Volvo lorries – which it says is the UK’s biggest order of electric trucks – that can take loads of up to 40 tonnes.

The vehicles will hit the road over the next 18 months, increasing the online retailer’s electric HGV fleet from nine at present.

The US-owned company’s switch to electric logistics is partly funded by the government under its zero emission HGV and infrastructure demonstrator programme (ZEHID). Amazon plans to install fast-charging points across its UK network to keep the trucks in action.

Amazon’s move is part of a £300m investment in green transport for the UK, announced in 2022, when the group hoped to have as many as 700 electric HGVs on the road by 2025, up from just five then, as well as thousands of smaller electric vans.

However, a lack of public infrastructure, high costs and concerns about vehicle range have held back the switch to electric HGVs across the industry, according to the Road Haulage Association, which says that just 300 are registered on UK roads out of a total lorry fleet of 500,000.

Anna Krajinska, the UK director of the green transport lobby group Transport & Environment, said sales had also been held back by the lack of a binding zero emissions target for HGVs in the UK. She said …

 

“There is a shortage of supply side

regulation in the UK to make it

more affordable and without that

regulation there is not investment

or certainty for the charging in-

dustry to roll out infrastructure.”

 

Nicola Fyfe, the European vice-president of Amazon Logistics, said its investment in the electric vehicles was “a win for our customers, the environment and our business”. She added …

 

“Decarbonising our transport network

is key in helping us achieve our goal to

reach net zero carbon emissions across

our operations by 2040 and today’s an-

nouncement is an exciting and major

step forward for us in this mission.”

 

The move comes as Amazon begins its first large-scale deliveries by train. Containers of products from its warehouses will be loaded on to cargo trains on the fully electric west coast mainline between Scotland and the Midlands for pick-up from stations close to local Amazon delivery and fulfilment centres or ferry ports.

The scheme will enable 20m products a year to be transported by train. Amazon previously only transported a small number of packages via train using carts loaded on to passenger trains.

Amazon has also launched new on-foot deliveries, using heavy carts, in central London, with pilots in Hackney, Westminster and Islington.

The carts can be restocked from vans, helping the company reduce van journeys in the capital’s congestion charge zone.

Amazon said more than 70% of the zone was now covered by electric vans, e-cargo bikes and on-foot deliveries, operated by its partners.

The company is expanding electric deliveries across UK city centres, with recent electric cargo bike launches in Belfast and Norwich joining existing Amazon fleets run by self-employed partners in London, Manchester and Glasgow.

 

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Meanwhile, the United States, once a global leader in new technology and positive lifestyle changes, now lags behind. Yet, I’ve been driving electric since 2013 and with rooftop solar panels, it costs me nothing whatever to drive, it’s actually more fun to drive, and maintenance is only a small fraction of that for gas cars. I see TV ads pushing fear-based car repair insurance in which none of their costly repair examples holds true for e-cars.

With the IRA program, I found that as an average home owner, you could buy a new $30,000 e-car, add 5 kWh solar panels to your roof and pay only $66 a month for your new car and all the power for your home and your car. By electing leaders acting more on behalf of the oil industry, with admonitions such as “Dig, baby, dig!” the individualized Australian and Norwegian approach may be the path we need to take. Adding D’s comments …

 

“Something is needed for individuals, corporations and governments to think through what is possible, to help reverse climate change. What Stuart has presented is giving ideas. Yet, each time there is also comments about why something might not work. It is important during these times to try things, to experiment, and fine how to engage in change. Change is never easy. But without change, life stagnates. May we find a way forward that embraces difference, as well as change.”

 

Habits are difficult to change. We all grew up using gas cars. As they’re cumulatively destroying our planet, and as they cost more to operate and maintain, please visit a car dealer and test drive their electric. Even at the less expensive end, many have a recharge range well over 250 miles. Do take care, though; e-cars have no “roar of the engine” but are peppier than gas. And once you get the feeling, they’re more fun to drive.

 

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