49% of Americans think climate change is mostly someone else’s problem
Nearly half of Americans think individuals can’t make much of an impact on climate change, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center – here’s why.
Americans and impact on climate change
Pew surveyed 8,842 adults in the US between September 25 and October 1, 2023, about their opinions on climate change. The survey asked Americans who said they see climate change as at least a somewhat serious problem which groups they think can do “a lot” to combat climate change. (The deniers who said climate change is not too serious or not a problem – 24% – weren’t asked that particular question.)
Fifty-five percent of respondents answered that the energy industry can make a big impact, and 52% think large businesses and corporations can mitigate climate change. Then came the belief that the federal government (47%) and cities and communities (40%) can make a difference.
But only 27% of US adults polled felt that individual Americans’ efforts can help “a lot.” Thirty-six percent said that individuals’ efforts can do “a little” to impact climate change, and 13% said “not much.”
That means just under half – 49% – of Americans think individuals can do a little, or not much, to combat climate change. Then add in the 24% group who think climate change isn’t real, and you have a majority.
Yet when asked to look ahead to 30 years from now, 52% felt that “major changes” to everyday life will be needed to address the problems caused by climate change. (Again, the climate change deniers weren’t asked this question.)
Electrek’s Take
So let’s get this straight.
More than half of Americans think that they – or rather, their kids and grandkids – are going to have to make major changes to everyday life to address the problems caused by climate change in 2053.
But just under half also feel there’s nothing more than at least “a little” that individual people can do about climate change right now.
Let’s also presume that those polled were also thinking about themselves when they answered this question about individuals. So what’s with this seemingly selfish viewpoint?
A lot of psychology comes into play. Psychology professor Art Markman reported in 2018 for Harvard Business Review that acting on climate change means “a trade-off between short-term and long-term benefits, which is the hardest trade-off for people to make.”
Markman also notes that “people conceptualize things that are psychologically distant from them (in time, space, or social distance) more abstractly than things that are psychologically close.” In other words, climate change will eventually be someone else’s problem because it’s not a concrete thing now.
How many of your friends and family say that they believe in climate change, and that “we” have to do something, yet when you ask them when they’re going to get rooftop solar or switch to driving an electric vehicle, they look at you like you have three heads?
I find it’s always the same response – a startled and then confused and reflective expression, followed by a mumbled excuse about [can’t afford an EV/not enough sunlight for rooftop solar/aren’t enough EV chargers/you fill in the blank with the excuses you’ve heard].
It’s at this point in the conversation where the carrot works better than the stick. Instead of berating your American cousin about how he needs to fight climate change by saving the skinny polar bear standing on the tiny ice island in that photo, tell him how much money you’ve saved since you switched to driving an EV, and show him the numbers.
That helps to bring the “conceptual” catastrophe of future global warming back to How You Can Make a Difference Right Now. And it really doesn’t really matter what reason encourages individuals to drive electric and adopt rooftop solar Right Now, as long as it does.
There’s only one way to eat an elephant – a bite at a time. (Thanks, Desmond Tutu.)
Read more: Here’s how much money you’ll get with the Inflation Reduction Act
To limit power outages and make your home more resilient, consider going solar with a battery storage system. In order to find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and you share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – ad*
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL) has unveiled its latest battery cell technologies, which charge as quickly as filling up a gas tank while potentially lowering costs without compromise.
CATL has quickly become the world’s largest battery manufacturer by a wide margin. It is one of, if not the biggest, force for advancing electric transportation.
A big part of CATL’s success is due to its advancements in lithium-iron phosphate battery cells, also known as LFP. LFP cells are cheaper than nickel-rich batteries, but they used to have much lower energy density.
The Chinese battery manufacturers managed to close the gap somewhat while maintaining lower costs, resulting in LFP cells becoming popular for entry-level EVs.
Now, CATL is looking to do the same with sodium-ion batteries.
Like LFP cells, sodium-ion battery cells have the potential to be cheaper than more common Li-ion cells, but they also offer potential for superior performance, particularly in terms of faster charging and longer lifecycles.
CATL has unveiled today Naxtra, its new sodium-ion battery cells, and it claimed some truly impressive specs.
The new cell reportedly achieves an energy density of 175 Wh per kg (385 Wh per lb), on par with the higher-end of LFP battery cells.
The new cells also offer potential for significant safety improvements.
CATL shared several intense stress tests, including drilling into a cell and even cutting it in half without any thermal event:
The next-gen sodium cells could help further lower the cost of electric vehicles without compromising performance, and while increasing safety.
On top of the new Naxtra cell, CATL has also unveiled its next-gen Shenxing LFP battery cells.
Its charge rate is truly impressive. CATL shared several examples of cars charging at around 1,000 kW and maintaining over 500 kW at over 50% state of charge:
The new cell is being described as capable of adding 300 miles (482 km) of range in about 5 minutes – depending on the EV model.
That’s virtually as quick as filling up a tank of gas.
CATL says that the Shenxing will be in 67 electric vehicle models by the end of the year.
The next-gen cell was unveiled after BYD, CATL’s biggest competitor, also unveiled its latest technology, capable of charging electric vehicles at extremely high speeds.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
New York State has announced an extra $30 million for point-of-sale rebates to lease or buy more than 60 new EV models.
The rebates are available to consumers through New York’s Drive Clean Rebate program, which offers a point-of-sale rebate off the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of an EV at participating car dealerships in New York State.
The rebate is available in all 62 counties, with the highest rebate of $2,000 available for EVs with a greater-than-200-mile range. (For a 40- to 199-mile range, the rebate is $1,000.) The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) runs the program.
NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, “Converting to EVs reduces the total cost of vehicle ownership through lower fuel and vehicle maintenance costs, and NYSERDA is proud to help provide New Yorkers with more purchasing power through these rebates.”
The Drive Clean Rebate program has issued over 190,000 rebates to consumers since 2017, contributing to the more than 280,000 EVs on the road in New York State.
NYSERDA also boosted its EV charging incentives. Through the Charge Ready NY 2.0 program, the state is boosting the cash available for Level 2 charger installations at apartment buildings, workplaces, and hotels from $2,000 to $3,000 per port. And if the chargers go into disadvantaged communities, that amount jumps to $4,000 per port.
New York has racked up over 17,000 public EV chargers, making it second only to California for charger count. On top of that, there are more than 4,000 semi-public stations tucked into workplaces and multifamily buildings across the state.
Read more: New York awards $60M to Revel to install 267 DC fast chargers
“If you find yourself in this situation or even just want to check out other options to make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar – whether you’re a homeowner or renter. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20 to 30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and tell us to share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.”
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
LTL carrier ArcBest Freight (ABF) announced plans to add five new Orange EV electric terminal tractors to its existing ZEV fleet, bringing its total deployment of these battery electric HDEVs to 14 … with even more to come.
LTL stands for “Less than Truck Load,” and basically means that, since whatever you’re shipping won’t take up a full container, you can share the costs of shipping with other customers with goods going the same way. You save a little more money and the shipper makes a little more money, making it a rare win-win scenario in the shipping space. And that’s important, because LTL containers amount to a massive 15% of total US shipping.
ABF has been putting Orange EV yard dogs to work in their LTL traffic terminals since their initial deployment of four trucks in June 2022. The company added five more a few years later, and just purchased five more — further underscoring their confidence in the benefits of transitioning their fleet to electric power.
“The Orange EV terminal trucks meet our operational requirements and expectations for safe, reliable, and affordable service and performance,” explains Matthew Godfrey, ABF Freight president. “We’re committed to responsible environmental management, and our investment in EVs aligns with our continuous efforts to enhance efficiency while maintaining exceptional service standards.”
ABF joins other large logistics companies like YMX and DHL in deploying the Orange EV terminal trucks, which have logged hundreds of thousands of hours of service for their customers.
Electrek’s Take
Over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast, we had a chance to talk to Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens ahead of last year’s ACT Expo for clean trucking. On the show (embedded, above), Kurt explained how his experience at Ford helped inform his design ideology, and that the Orange EV was designed to be cost competitive with diesel options, even without subsidies.
Give it a listen, then let us know what you think of the big yard dogs in the comments.
SOURCE | IMAGES: Orange EV; via PR Newswire.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business3 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway