$3 Gas, Alaska Pipeline Leak Another Reason to Support EVs

2011 might be the year that is stamped as the beginning of a transition from oil and gas to electric and solar.

In 2010, we saw an oil spill that devastated the Gulf, destroying countless habitats and communities, a local disaster along the Kalamazoo River that is said to have been one of the worst in Midwest history, and most recently, a leak in the Alaskan pipeline on Jan. 8. The claim is that the latest leak was contained and did not cause excessive damage, however its effects range wider than just the environment.

Situations such as this have the potential to put the economy into a sleeper hold, as we can see with oil prices skyrocketing in the wake of a shutdown of much of the Alaskan pipeline for repair and cleanup. How long must this go on before these companies, our economy, and our people realize what we are doing to our planet? More importantly, when are we going to change it?

The North American International Auto Show may have set a precedent, with the naming of the Chevy Volt as the North American Car of the Year. This may be the jumping off point we need as a nation as we look forward to the future of industry, particularly the auto industry. Electric vehicles such as the Volt show the potential to reshape automobiles here in America, both literally and figuratively. More information on the Volt can be found at Michigan LCV’s page on EVs at the Auto Show.