WSJ, March 23, 2021, graphically demonstrates that going to all-electric cars will save the world. Well, maybe and maybe not.  No mention of what side-effects will occur when mining all the stuff to make Evs and then disposing of all the chemicals and minerals and junk that makes Ev’s and keeps them running.  Or the costs to taxpayers in taxes and liberty in the future that may crush the poor.

Ok, but this is a fun graphic article -click HERE to view.

Points made in the article

Carmakers, including General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG, are retooling their companies to make electric vehicles on the premise that their battery-powered motors are cleaner than gas-burning engines.

Are EVs really better for the environment, though? A close look at all the factors shows they are—but it’s a complex answer with some asterisks.

The environmental cost of a car includes both building it and fueling it. That means factoring in emissions associated with oil drilling and power plant smokestacks, as well as from mining metals such as nickel and cobalt that are needed for electric-car batteries.

How quickly the U.S. fleet switches from combustion engines to electric motors will have a huge effect on the country’s overall greenhouse gas emissions. Light-duty vehicles currently contribute 17% of the U.S. total.

To help prevent the global average temperature from rising more than two degrees Celsius, a goal of the Paris Agreement, cumulative U.S. vehicle emissions should be limited to 39 gigatons between 2019 and 2050

What if states push aggressive mandates similar to California, which said last fall that it wanted all new cars sold in the state to be EVs by 2035? Emissions would drop to 35.4 gigatons—below the two-degree threshold. Electricity use would grow astronomically, as would demand for minerals, but gasoline would shrink to 8% of 2020 levels.

What if the U.S. promotes EVs, and also pursues other strategies to reduce emissions, such as improving fuel efficiency, making cars lighter and decreasing miles traveled per person? Emissions would fall the most. Gas demand would drop. Electricity and minerals demand would rise—but not as sharply as in the California-style scenario.

No matter what kind of engines they run on, cars add to greenhouse gas emissions. But the data show that switching from gas to electric vehicles will make a huge impact. Consumers making individual choices between cars will make a difference. So will policy decisions made by governments and investments by companies as we drive into the future.

2019–2050 to keep emmissions at or below 39 GIGATONS