Electric Cars

As great as electric cars are, they will not be zero-emissions until the electricity that they use comes from clean energy. While this is easily fixed, it is an example of how one solution will not solve the climate crisis: it has to be a combination of all the solutions. 

Because electric cars are not very widespread, there are not many charging stations. Charging stations are controversial because in some places they do not cost money to charge. This is great for the owner of electric cars but expensive for car companies and possibly not sustainable for the development of electric cars. On the plus side, it provides an incentive for electric cars. 

However, in order for electric cars to be deployed on a large scale, there need to be more charging stations because of their low range on a full battery. In addition, electric cars take a long time to charge, so some electric car companies are working on solutions that replace the batteries instead of charging them.

Eventually, charging stations will have to become pay stations. As annoying as that may seem, gasoline is very expensive now. In fact, it may also provide less of a reason for corporations to say no developing to electric cars.

Electric cars are not very widespread, mainly because of the lack of innovation incentives. Car companies make substantial profits with combustion vehicles, so they have no incentive to spend money on research and development programs for electric cars. That is a common issue with acting on climate change: corporations and officials think mostly about money and the short term instead of about the future climate.

Federal mandates for electric cars and company tax incentives can help force companies to innovate because they will not only jump at the chance to save tax dollars but will no longer be many reasons to not innovate.