Dear Next President:

I am a Junior at West Albany High School. We need to start driving electric vehicles, as opposed to gasoline powered vehicles. Did you know, as found on startribune.com, EV’s (electric vehicles) release less than half of the carbon emissions of gasoline powered vehicles due to the small amount of carbon being produced in the process of creating electricity (power plants). One reason to switch to electric vehicles is that we ARE going to run out of gasoline. In addition, gasoline pollutes the atmosphere far more than EV’s, and electric vehicles also save both energy and money.

I stated we are going to run out of gasoline in the future. As estimated on usatoday.com, we have around 52 years worth of gasoline left. Most of my generation will still be alive in 52 years so this issue will definitely affect us. Additionally, cncbc.com stated, “Norway, which is one of the world’s main oil producers, has developed the world’s most extensive network of charging stations for electric cars.” Now clearly, if one of the world’s greatest oil producers is widely going electric, then we should take that as a hint that maybe we need to switch too. Obviously, we are going to run out soon if Norway is switching to electric vehicles.

Secondly, gasoline is destroying our environment. This may not seem like a big deal, or an issue that affects you; however, you are wrong. According to environment-ecology.com, a big source of global warming is greenhouse gases. They also said that carbon dioxide emissions were a source of greenhouse gas. Nrdc.org states, “Rising air temperatures also worsen air pollution by increasing ground level ozone.” Here’s a fact: air pollution is a cause of lung cancer. Environmentalhealthnews.org states, “a decades-old estimate that six percent of cancer deaths are due to environmental and occupational exposures is outdated and far too low.” This site also said that cancer is the second leading cause of death in America. Still think air pollution and global warming won’t affect you? It’s absolutely a possibility that it might. Electric vehicles would get rid of around a third of this pollution, according to nrdc.org.

Some would argue the false statement that it would cause more pollution to power the plants that make electricity than the electric vehicles themselves would save compared to a gasoline powered vehicle. This is simply inaccurate. Ucsusa.org states that even after accounting in both the pollution from manufacturing an electric vehicle and the pollution from creating the electricity, after 4,900 miles an average midsize EV would have produced less pollution. This number is due to the fact that it makes more pollution to create an EV that manufacturing a gas powered vehicle. However, after accounting in the smaller amounts of pollution made from driving both vehicles, the electric car would have less total pollution at 4,900 miles and would of course continue to lessen the amount of pollution from there on out. The argument that EV’s create more pollution due to the pollution from making electricity is invalid.

We need to switch over to electric vehicles. This is for safety and for mental security over what is to come in the future when we no longer have gas and oil. We will run out of gasoline, most likely in our lifetimes. Gas vehicles produce far more carbon dioxide than EV’s, which means EV’s would reduce the likelihood of health issues caused by greenhouse gases. The facts don’t lie; EV’s are Americas big ticket, and as a candidate at tonight's presidential debate said, finding a way to make electricity more efficiently could create more jobs and become a great asset to the United States of America. Future President, you have to make a change, and to work to create the next phase in clean vehicles. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Trenton K.