Malena Rivera Merediz

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The car of the future

Electric cars have become popular over the years, since most people are becoming aware

of the dangers of global warning and are trying to minimize them. There are three types of

electric cars: the ones that run on gasoline and a battery, the ones that run on battery and can

be recharged, and the ones that the battery recharges when gasoline is used. In this essay we

are going to talk about the electric cars in general. Although electric cars are not the ideal eco

car, they are better than the regular gasoline cars. Electric vehicles are also very quiet when

they are using electricity which minimizes noise pollution given by the car. There are several

types of pollution in the world; like air factories, cars, etc can produce pollution, which is

when the air that we breathe in is mixed with harmful chemicals or fumes. When these fumes

and chemicals are released into the air, they damage the atmosphere, which creates damages

in the ozone layer. In the end this harmful effect damages the planet and the humans that live

in it. Another type of pollution is noise pollution, which comes from high frequencies, loud

music, building activities, other activities that cause a lot of noise, and some that people

cannot hear nor register. There are other types of pollution as soil, water, thermal pollution

but for this essay they are not important. Electric cars are better than gasoline powered

vehicles because they save us money, they are less damaging to the environment and are

safer for our health.

There will always be people who stand against progress, and try to eliminate that

progress; the same happened and keeps happening with electric cars. As we are going to see

in the next paragraph, electric cars are not cheap. Electric cars are expensive, compared to

normal gasoline vehicles. Although the government is making incentives and propaganda to

promote them and lower the price, they are still expensive. Another point against electric cars

is that they have short range and it takes a long time to refuel. According to a study that the

Norwegian University of Science and Technology did, it claimed that when coal is used to

produce electricity, more greenhouse gases are emitted. Since electric cars are using that

electricity, they are one of the causes for these greenhouse gases to be released. The study

also states that electric car factories produce more toxic waste; hence they contaminate more

the environment. But in places where they rely a lot on coal, the electric cars don’t really

help that much. Electric cars also produce an electromagnetic field that some people are very

sensitive to it. There is a reported case where a female driver stated that while steering her

hybrid, she fell asleep on the wheel three times. The effects, as the female driver claimed,

had to do with her blood pressure rising because of the electromagnetic fields. These

examples serve as counterpoints to the idea that electric cars are good.

Even though electric cars are not that cheap, they save us more money on fuel than

gasoline cars. Since electric cars have an engine that runs on gasoline and electricity, it

requires less gasoline. You can always alternate between the two fuels, and like that you can

manage how much gasoline you use. In most electric cars if you are driving under 40 mpg

the car uses electricity, if you go above the 40 mpg the car starts using gasoline. “Based on

electricity rates in 50 cities across the United States, the analysis found drivers can save $750

to $1,200 dollars a year compared to operating an average new compact gasoline vehicle (27

mpg) fueled with gasoline at $3.50 per gallon. Higher gas prices would mean even greater

EV fuel cost savings. For each 50 cent increase in gas prices, an EV driver can expect save

an extra $200 a year” (Shahan 2). As we can see a person can save a lot of money on gas that

can be used for better things like spending time with family.

When electric cars are using battery there is no tailpipe emission, hence it lowers CO2

emission. Gasoline comes from petroleum which is a non-renewable resource, that means

that when we finish it is gone and take at least 100 years (give or take some years) to create

more. This is why we need to lower its use, since, according to Joseph Romm “Roughly 97%

of all energy consumed by our cars, sports utility vehicles, vans, trucks, and airplane is still

petroleum-based” (1). Trees transform CO2 into oxygen, but since there are lees trees less

oxygen is being produced but the levels of CO2 keep rising. These causes what most people

call global warning. “The 1992 Energy Policy Act established the goal of having alternate

fuels replace at least 10% of petroleum fuels in 2000, and at least 30% in 2010”( Romm 2).

Since the year that the act was established measures have been taken to lower our

dependency on petroleum so that future generations may use it either more caution. In places

where the power plants run on clean energy; adding electric vehicles to those places will

lower even more the contaminants that we have in the air, in our homes and almost

anywhere.

Since electric cars are better for the environment they must be better for our health.

According to WHO (World Health Organization): “Electric fields are created by differences

in voltage: the higher the voltage, the stronger will be the resultant field. Magnetic fields are

created when electric current flows: the greater the current, the stronger the magnetic field.

An electric field will exist even when there is no current flowing. If current does flow, the

strength of the magnetic field will vary with power consumption but the electric field

strength will be constant.” By this definition we can see that electric fields are related to the

magnetic field. Electromagnetic fields are produced in the environment by the electric

charges that build up over time and are mostly known by thunderstorms. EMF can also be

found in X-ray machines, radio waves, and even from power sockets. The electromagnetic

fields go from 300Hz to 300GHz according to WHO, where the highest frequency comes

from radiofrequencies. . But what most people don’t know is that electric cars transmit an

electromagnetic fields that for some may cause dizziness and other effects. According to one

test done on electromagnetic cars the magnetic field given off by the car is lower than 20%.in

comparison to the recommended values given by the International Commission on Non-

Ionizing Radiation Protection. Some of the side effects of the electromagnetic fields are

depression, headaches, memory problems, miscarriages and puts a person more capable of

having cancer. All these side effects come from the people that are more sensitive to

magnetic fields, but it can still happens to anyone in the future. Like almost everything else

in the long run it may affect you but does no necessarily mean that it may happen. The

problem with the electromagnetic fields is that there is not enough research and facts to say

that it may or may not effect a person’s health. Many people make conclusions based on

things that have happened to one person or are based on the little research that there is.

In conclusion, electric cars are better for the environment but we still need to look for

better alternatives. We need to lose our dependence on petroleum and that will help the

environment even more. Even though the price on an electric car is high, since it uses less

gasoline, the money used for gasoline will be less. Scientist need to continue studying the

effects of the electromagnetic fields on the human being and ways to minimize them. “I

believe alternative energy certainly has a future, but I also think the people who develop

these technologies must consider other health aspects of their creations, so they don’t just

swap one kind of pollution with another”(Melody 2). The point for lowering the carbon

dioxide emissions and global warming is to have a better future for the next generation.

Research should continue to improve the electric cars and to find other fuels that are save but

that don’t depend on petroleum.

References:

Shahan, Zachary. "Electric Vehicles Good for the Environment & Save You

Money." CleanTechnica. N.p., 18 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014.

http://cleantechnica.com/2012/04/18/electric-vehicles-greenhouse-gas-emissions-save-

money/

Romm, Joseph. "The car and fuel of the future." Energy Policy 34.17 (2006): 2609-2614.

Web. October 23, 2014.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421505001734

Dickerman, Larry, and Jessica Harrison. "A new car, a new grid." IEEE Power and Energy

Magazine 8.2 (2010): 55. Web. October 23, 2014.

http://www.movus.es/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/electric-vehicles.pdf

Zolfagharifard, Ellie. "Are Electric Cars Safe to Drive? Experts Dismiss Fears That Exposure

to Their Electromagnetic Fields Could Cause Cancer."Mail Online. Associated Newspapers,

06 May 2014. Web. 18 Nov. 2014. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-

2621341/Are-electric-cars-safe-drive-Experts-dismiss-fears-exposure-electromagnetic-fields-

cause-cancer.html#ixzz3Iusjevfk

Melody. "Why Electric Cars May Be Hazardous to Your Health." Why Electric Cars May Be

Hazardous to Your Health. Ecodynamic Living Solutions, 15 June 2012. Web. 18 Nov. 2014.

http://ecodynamiclivingsolutions.com/why-electric-cars-may-be-hazardous-to-your-health/

Lindberg, Max. "Are Plug-Ins and Electric Cars A Health Hazard?" Gas 2. N.p., n.d. Web. 18

Nov. 2014. http://gas2.org/2008/04/29/do-plug-ins-and-electric-cars-present-a-health-hazard-

due-to-electromagnetic-fields-serbian-born-nicholas-tesla-might-have-known/

"What Are Electromagnetic Fields?" WHO. World Health Organization, n.d. Web. 02 Dec.

2014

"Electric Cars 'pose Green Threat'" BBC News. N.p., 4 Oct. 2012. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

http://www.bbc.com/news/business-19830232

Berman, Brad. "Electric Cars Pros and Cons." PluginCars.com. N.p., 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 01

Dec. 2014. http://www.plugincars.com/electric-cars-pros-and-cons-128637.html

Sharma, Priyavrat. "Different Types of Pollution and Methods of Control." Udemy Blog.

N.p., 21 Apr. 2014. Web. 01 Dec. 2014. https://www.udemy.com/blog/different-types-of-

pollution/