NASA reported on August 14 that July 2023 was the hottest month globally in their records. The report is yet another reminder of the international climate emergency that looms over all of our human activities.

On the heels of this report, among others, have been calls for individuals to keep track of and work to reduce or offset their carbon footprint. While individual consumers are not wholly responsible for the climate crisis, everyone does have a carbon footprint.

Battery-powered electric cars, otherwise known as electric vehicles or EV’s, are becoming ever more common on U.S. roads and highways. According to J.D. Power, sales of EV’s rose from 3.2% [of the auto market] in 2021 to 5.8% in 2022, a two-thirds increase that is only expected to continue as more vehicle body types and public charging stations become available.  

What is a carbon footprint?

Everything we do requires some output of energy. Every time you switch on a light, access the Internet, or, in the case of fleets, every time you or your driver start up a car -- you are using energy. When going about our daily lives constantly using energy, greenhouse gases are released.

The sum of your greenhouse gas output over the course of a year is your carbon footprint. It varies individual to individual, but everyone has one.

Here are several indisputable facts:

• The Earth rotates on an axis around the Sun
• Water is wet
• The globe is warming at an unprecendented rate, causing a myriad of issues from global ice caps melting to rampant wildfires in Australia and the U.S.

The statements above are scientific facts. According to Climate.gov, "... the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.14 degrees Fahrenheit (0.08 degrees Celsius) per decade since 1880; however, the average rate of increase since 1981 (0.18°C / 0.32°F) has been more than twice that rate."¹

God created us to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this life, so that we can be with Him in Eternity – and He created this beautiful home for us in which to do this! Everywhere we look in nature, we can see the beauty and perfection of God’s designs. As the Psalmist says, “The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). What a wonderful place to journey through as we make our way towards Heaven!

General Motors recently announced a new and updated plan to eliminate carbon emissions from their vehicles and factories. GM's goal and promise is to reach carbon neutrality--meaning ZERO carbon emissions from their vehicles AND their assembly process--by 2040. GM also committed to the rollout of new, zero-emission light duty vehicles by 2035. 

What can the driver of a vehicle do to reduce the environmental impact of their daily commute? Cars with gas-powered engines, which is still most cars on the road today, emit harmful greenhouse gases (GHG’s) into Earth's atmosphere via their tailpipes. According to a leading organization on climate change, the Union of Concerned Scientists, "...collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all US emissions, emitting around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases for every gallon of gas [consumed]."

The number of electric vehicles (EV's) on the road is continuing to rise from about 1 million at the end of 2018 to a projected 18.7 million by 2030. Concurrently, fleet management organizations are promoting the incorporation of EV's into their clients' fleets more than ever before. So what should you know about vehicles that run on electricity? 

We live in a highly subjective world. Indeed, one might say the entire human experience is an emotional and subjective one. But facts are not. People may use facts incorrectly, or even come up with false data in order to prove a point, but real facts do not pretend to be anything that they're not. They don't even exist for humans to use or interpret; in essence, they simply exist to hold the universe together.