Participants Kim Cobb and Benji Backer tackled the pros and cons of EVs, finding common ground on some solutions while debating key challenges.
In a recent event co-hosted by the Brown College Republicans and the Steamboat Institute, IBES Director Kim Cobb and American Conservation Coalition Founder Benji Backer debated whether electric vehicles are good for the planet.
The event, was part of the Steamboat Institute’s “Campus Liberty Tour,” where organizers host discourses on key political issues across the country.
Are electric vehicles good for the planet? George E. Bogden moderated a debate on this topic between Professor Kim Cobb and Benji Backer.
Cobb opened the debate by contextualizing the discussion with climate disasters like Hurricane Helene and Beryl, which have killed many and led to billions of dollars in damages. Focusing on the topic at hand, she added that many carbon emissions are associated with transportation and vehicle use.
“ It stands to reason that we cannot make significant progress towards our ambitious emission goals without transitioning passenger vehicles away from fossil fuels. ”
Electric vehicles are one but not the only way to lower transportation-associated emissions, Cobb stated. While Cobb acknowledged that mining the materials required for electric vehicles may cause environmental damage and have led to labor abuses, she spoke in support of battery recycling methods to lessen these harms.
Backer, a hybrid vehicle owner himself, argued against the marketing of the vehicles as solely positive for the environment, noting the environmental damage in the mining and vehicle production. Backer supports investing in other technologies besides electric vehicles to maximize impact and lower emissions.
The debate touched on key issues such as the reliance of Americans on passenger vehicles, international competition in the electric vehicle market and labor abuses in rare metal mining.
Cobb noted that there is a “cultural affinity to fossil fuels as a banner of national pride” and a “decades-long drive towards energy independence in this country.” Still, she added, a greater diversity of energy sources could provide greater resilience to climate disasters.
As the 2024 Presidential election approaches, Cobb noted: “When we’re talking about solutions, we’re not talking about them as a litmus test for partisan purity... The only way forward to the kind of durable, equitable, effective climate action solutions are going to come from bipartisan frameworks.”
Want to further explore the intersection of climate and politics in the US presidential election? Join IBES' panel discussion on October 26, in person or via livestream.