I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Alson in my Clean Air Law class in March 2022. He gave a presentation on emissions in the United States, and it was interesting to say the least.

Recently, he graciously took the time to respond to several questions I sent him, which we will discuss below. I received his response on June 10, 2022.

Jeff is a retired Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Engineer where he worked in the National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory. Basically, they regulate pollution emitted by vehicles.

Before we dive into the questions I asked him, let’s break some things down for reference.

There are several different sources of air pollution as a result of transportation: on road and nonroad. On road types are light duty vehicles (your average everyday vehicle), heavy duty vehicles (semi-trucks), and motorcycles. Nonroad types include aircrafts, nonroad diesel equipment (forklifts, etc.), marine engines/ocean vessels (boats), trains, lawn & garden equipment, and recreational vehicles (ATVs, etc.)

You may be wondering, if you don’t already know, what do these emissions do? Well, to put it simply, they create a sort of “blanket” on the atmosphere – and I am absolutely NOT talking about the type of blanket you want to cuddle with – that traps in heat and warms the temperature here on Earth. This temperature rise causes global warming, which results in serious negative environmental conditions. Because everything is tied to the environment, the worse off the environment is the worse off we are. Global warming results in decrease of water supply, rising sea levels, changes in weather patterns (um, hello! Can we say wildfires and floods anyone?), geographical changes, changes in the food supply, and acid rain among other things. I don’t know about you, but none of that sounds fun to me, and too many people have already been negatively affected.

So you might be thinking – “Well, what can I do about it?” Allow Mr. Alson to tell you one major way you can contribute to more positive environmental conditions.

DISCLAIMER: None of the information or answers provided are on behalf of the EPA. This is strictly from Mr. Alson’s experience and expertise.

Q: In your opinion, what is the best way to lower CO₂ (fuel) emissions?

A: “There is essentially a consensus that the only way to get to net zero or near-net zero society-wide CO₂ emissions is to eliminate fossil fuel combustion–coal, natural gas, and oil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel–by “leaving the carbon in the ground” instead of burning it and throwing it into the atmosphere. This is, of course, a massive undertaking as cheap fossil fuels have been a primary driver of economic growth since the Industrial Revolution. But, as the old saying goes, there is no “free lunch” and using the atmosphere as a dumping ground for the CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion is now beginning to overheat the planet with environmental and public health consequences that will get exponentially worse in the coming decades.”

Q: In addition to buying an electric vehicle (“EV”), what can individuals do on a personal level to contribute to the lowering of these emissions?

A: “For most of us, personal CO₂ emissions are dominated by transportation (how we get around), housing (mostly heating and cooling), and diet. Most Americans own personal vehicles, and for over 100 years, we have had no real choice other than to buy and drive gasoline (or diesel) vehicles. Once you own a gasoline vehicle, there are really only two main ways to reduce CO₂–maximizing your vehicle’s fuel economy (buying the most fuel efficient vehicle possible, making sure your engine is tuned properly and tires are properly inflated, and “driving green” by minimizing high speeds, overly aggressive accelerations and braking, and idling) and driving fewer miles (living closer to work or school, trip chaining, carpooling, transit, biking or walking when possible). Now, as you suggest, individuals can choose to buy an EV. The “life-cycle” CO₂ emissions of an EV depends directly on how its electricity is produced, of course, but even with a lot of natural gas and coal being used in today’s grid, most EV owners would reduce their CO₂ emissions by 50-75% by switching from a gasoline car to an EV. But even more important, the grid is using less fossil fuel every year, and within a decade or two the grid is expected to be nearly fossil free, and by that time EVs will be 90-100% cleaner than a gasoline vehicle. I am not an expert on housing or diet issues, but some obvious common sense improvements are to not live in a “mansion” with wasted square footage, being willing to be a little warmer in the summer or a little cooler in the winter to minimize heating and cooling, cutting back on meat consumption in general and beef consumption in particular, and to a lesser extent, dairy consumption (dairy is one of my weak areas!).”

Q: What are the pros and cons of electric and hybrid vehicles?

A: (For this response, Jeff directed me to a chart he provided during his previous presentation in my class. See below.)

In addition to the chart, Mr. Alson stated: “I just want to reiterate that things are in flux, in particular the higher cost of EVs is likely to come down over time due to battery innovation and scale. Just in the last month or so General Motors reduced the price of its small Chevrolet Bolt by something like $7,000, to $26,000 or so, making it fairly competitive with other small “loaded” cars, and cheaper to own when you take the far lower cost of electricity versus gasoline, especially with today’s high gasoline prices.”

Q: How do electric and hybrid vehicles compare on an emissions level?

A: (Chart also provided for this response. See below.)

“I show a range for vehicle tailpipe + fuel CO₂ emissions (does not include manufacturing) for EVs, because they are entirely dependent on how local electricity is produced, and that can vary significantly around the country (e.g., today, an EV will be cleaner in California than in Indiana or Michigan). The good news is that, today, EVs are cleaner everywhere, they will get cleaner yet as fossil fuels are phased out of the electric grid, and ultimately EVs will be near-zero net CO₂ when the grid is fully non-fossil.”

Q: There are many arguments against EVs. How would you respond to these arguments.

Argument 1. The driving range per charge is much shorter the the MPG range of a fuel-run vehicle, and they take too long to charge.

A: “Both true. EV range has improved from less than 100 miles, 15 or 20 years ago, to 200-300 miles today. It will continue to grow, but may never equal what we can get from liquid gasoline which packs a lot of energy into a small volume. EV charging has also improved, but will probably always take longer than fueling at a gasoline service station. The issue, of course, is whether these cons should outweigh the EV pros. Interestingly, EVs are more convenient to charge for those owners who have home charging capability as they can “plug in” and go to sleep, and “un-plug” in the morning and never have to go to the gasoline station.”

Argument 2. There aren’t enough charging stations.

A: “Again, very true, there are way too few public charging stations in operation today. But this will change quickly. The Infrastructure bill signed a year or so ago provides $7.5 billion of federal monies to subsidize EV charging stations, and just this week U.S. Department of Transportation (“DOT”)/Department of Energy (“DOE”) released information about how the first $5 billion will be distributed to the states. And once there are more EVs on the road, many more private companies will get involved.”

Argument 3. EV batteries are too temperature sensitive and, therefore, need replaced too quickly when exposed to high or low temperatures.

A: “Battery failures are rare. Toyota and other companies that have produced non-plug-in hybrids (like the original Prius) have been genuinely and pleasantly surprised how few batteries they have had to replace under warranty and how well the batteries have maintained performance over time. Cold and hot weather extremes are certainly issues for EVs, not so much because the batteries don’t function well, but because continual use of heaters and air conditioners places a much bigger drain on the batteries. Of course, weather extremes also affect gasoline vehicle performance, my small Chevrolet Cruze gets around 5 mpg less in very cold weather than in 70F weather.”

Argument 4. When you buy an EV, you have to rewire your home to be able to charge it, which is expensive, and there is no standard plug.

A: “If you are willing to charge your vehicle slowly every night, you can use a standard 110-volt outlet in your garage or carport, or on the side of your house, and not do any new electrical work. But, most EV owners choose to add a 240-volt outlet to be able to charge faster. I am no expert on electrical work, the old estimate used to be $2,000 to add 240-volt capability, it may now be a little less. I am confident that there will be plug standardization, every stakeholder will want it, just as we have standards for gasoline vehicle fuel tank inlet sizes and service station pump nozzle sizes.”

Argument 5. EVs are too expensive.

A: “This is a huge factor, of course. As the chart shows (see below), EVs used to be far more expensive, but the premium has come way down. My chart is probably a little too optimistic now as the pandemic has probably affected EVs more than gasoline. On the other hand, I just read an article that, incredibly, said the average new personal vehicle in the US now costs $47,000! I am an engineer, and from that perspective, an EV is a far simpler machine than a gasoline vehicle—fewer total parts, many fewer moving parts. My industry friends are convinced that, in the long run (and probably later this decade), EVs will be cheaper to build than gasoline vehicles.”

Argument 6. Even though EVs are zero-emissions, the materials and energy that go into building and charging them results in pollution and emissions.

A: “The chart above does include all fuel production and distribution related emissions for both gasoline cars and EVs. Since EVs have no combustion, all of their emissions in the chart are related to the electricity production, distribution, and charging. The chart does not include manufacturing-related emissions. There are studies on the web on this topic, some of the best I have seen are from the U of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems, whose advisory board I sit on. They show that EVs do have higher manufacturing-related emissions, primarily related to the batteries, but the increase only offsets a small part of the overall EV emissions benefit.”

Q: What is the EPA doing today to address these issues?

A: “EPA is a regulatory body, and almost all of its relatively small budget is spent on it’s regulator obligations. They do not get money from Congress to support research and development (“R&D”), or demonstration projects, or build infrastructure. But DOE invests large amounts of money in battery R&D, and the DOE and the DOT are working together to help build out the EV charging station network, including the initial $5 billion for which details were announced this week.”

Q: Do you have hope for the future that we will be able to save the environment and reverse the damage CO₂ emissions have caused?

A: “This is the existential question about which we could talk for hours. I often apologize to your generation (including my two kids) for leaving you with an overheating planet and a broken democracy. My generation was too selfish and too self-centered, and your generation is going to have to clean up our mess. I see some major reasons for optimism: the innovation and economics of EVs, solar, and wind have improved so much that we can now solve the climate crisis with little or no “sacrifice”; your generation seems less selfish and greedy than my Baby Boomer generation; and, at least prior to the pandemic, it seemed that your generation was generating a true global climate movement with real momentum. But I also see significant reasons for pessimism: we need global cooperation on a problem which affects various countries in very different ways; while the US simply has to be a global leader due to its wealth and historical contribution to atmospheric CO₂, it is hard to envision the US stepping up on climate when we cannot reach consensus on things as straightforward as election integrity and voting rights; and, in particular, some in the US want to make climate a purely partisan issue and will oppose any climate plan if it is supported by “the other side.” But I have hope. James Baldwin, a writer, said, in the face of slavery and Jim Crow, that African Americans have had to “constantly reinvent hope” and that is how I feel about the climate crisis. Hope is the only way to not guarantee failure.”

Q: What is the biggest hurdle we face today as a society with regard to making positive changes with respect to fuel emissions?

A: “Picking up on my previous answer, I think our broken democracy is our biggest hurdle.”

Q: If you could pick on piece of advice or information to have someone take away from this, what would it be?

A: “This is a great last question. My final advice would be – we can solve the climate crisis, if we have the will to do so.”

Overall, EVs do require change, and they do take energy to build, BUT they do more good in the long run in comparison to a regular fuel-powered vehicle. Now, I don’t want to give the falsehood that if we all drive EVs, we are going to solve the world’s CO₂ emissions problems. Truth is, about 70% of those emissions come from industries, semi-trucks, planes, trains, etc. But EVERY LITTLE BIT COUNTS, so you should still do your best to do your part.

Another thing to note, is that you can help take action against those large polluters I mentioned above that make up for most of the Earth’s CO₂ emissions. If you can travel somewhere by vehicle instead of by plane, do it. Shop locally so that not as many items need shipped into your area. Pay attention to your surroundings – is a corporation trying to put an industrial plant in your area that will create large amounts of pollution? Fight it. Start a petition. Take them to court. Just. Do. SOMETHING.

I want to mention that the article written by Robinson Meyer at the below link giving credit to the photo is insanely eye-opening. I highly recommend reading it when you have the time. It was written and published in Feb. 2020, so it is fairly recent and absolutely still pertinent to our present and future.