According to recent research by the American Lung Association, a significant switch to electric vehicles and clean power infrastructure in the US might save tens of thousands of lives over the coming decades.
By 2050, the paper estimates that a reduction in emissions from power plants and tailpipes might avert up to 110,000 premature deaths. 13.4 million lost workdays and 2.78 million asthma episodes would also be avoided. The benefits to public health would total $1.2 trillion in total.
Can EVs save the environment
That’s supposing that by 2035 all new passenger cars sold in the US will be EVs and that by 2040 all new heavy-duty vehicles sold will be EVs. Furthermore, a grid free of fossil fuels would be required to power such automobiles. But it still remains almost difficult to replace the great majority of the roughly 280 million automobiles and trucks now on the road in the country with electric vehicles in such a short amount of time. Despite their rising popularity, just 3% of new automobiles bought in the US in 2021 will be electric.
Cutting down emissions
Health advocates contend that a safe environment ought to be a given. Pediatrician and American Lung Association volunteer Afif El-Hasan said in a press conference: “I can advise [my patients] to limit their time spent outside to limit the pollution they are breathing; I can’t ensure that they have clean, healthy air to breathe — and that is incredibly frustrating to me.” Every kid should have the opportunity to play and grow in a secure environment. That should never be up for discussion.
The American Lung Association examined how phasing out fossil fuel combustion from the transportation and electricity sectors might reduce important pollutants for its latest study. This includes smokestack and tailpipe emissions of sulphur dioxide, soot, smog-forming nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and so on.
The authors of the paper also looked at non-exhaust emissions, another form of pollution that sometimes goes unnoticed but is still a problem with electric vehicles. This comprises dust particles released into the atmosphere as a result of road and vehicle wear and tear, such as from tyres or brake pads. The prevalence of this kind of pollution demonstrates why more walkable communities and improved public transit are crucial for a healthier future by reducing reliance on driving.
The paper emphasizes the advantages to the health of reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. By accelerating the chemical process that creates smog and escalating pollution from wildfires, a rising climate has an impact on air quality. According to a new industry-commissioned study conducted by the German Aerospace Center, e-bikes, scooters, and other light electric vehicles can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions when they replace cars.