Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
156
1 5 6
for cooking, replacing solid fuel open fires, which impacts the health and
safety of the cooks as well as improving air quality.
Predicting the future is always a dicey thing. It is fairly safe to say, though,
that there will be additional progress towards lower prices and improved
efficiency of solar panels, and lower prices and greater energy density of
batteries. EVs will become more popular because of lower costs, better
features, and more models. As EVs become common enough that they are
perceived as normal choices rather than novelties, we can expect an inflection point – EVs will become the status quo (Brase, 2019). We predict that
roughly 50% of the readers who read this sentence will drive or ride in an EV
(bike, car, bus, truck) sometime during the next five years.
With the progressive electrification of transportation will come more
focus on the sources of electricity, which can combine with concerns about
air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Other states, cities, and countries
will follow the leaders (California, China, and Norway) and make a greater
effort to improve air quality by transitioning to renewable energy and zeroemission vehicles. Development of the smart grid will continue and greater
use will be made of real- time or time- of- use prices. We also expect that there
will continue to be global competition in manufacturing operations for solar
panels, solar lanterns, batteries, wind turbines, and all types of EVs (electric
bikes, cars, buses, and trucks). This global competition will lead to further
developments that will be beneficial to society.
References
Bogmans, C. (2019, April). Falling costs make wind, solar more affordable. World
Economic Outlook, International Monetary Fund; blogs.imf.org/
Brase, G.L. (2019). What would it take to get you into an electric car? Consumer
perceptions and decision making about electric vehicles. The Journal of
Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied 153: 214– 236. doi:10.1080/ 00223980.
2018.1511515.
EIA (2019, May 21). Kansas state profile and energy estimates. US Energy Information
Administration; www.eia.gov/
Erickson, L.E. (2017). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality;
Two global challenges. Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy 36: 982– 988.
Erickson, L.E., Robinson, J., Brase, G., and Cutsor, J. (2017). Solar Powered Charging
Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Development. CRC Press, Boca
Raton, Florida.
Fehrenbacher, K. (2019, March 25). Electric buses and trucks charge ahead. Green Biz.;
www.greenbiz.com/
Gardiner, B. (2019) Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution. University of
Chicago Press.
156
1 5 6
for cooking, replacing solid fuel open fires, which impacts the health and
safety of the cooks as well as improving air quality.
Predicting the future is always a dicey thing. It is fairly safe to say, though,
that there will be additional progress towards lower prices and improved
efficiency of solar panels, and lower prices and greater energy density of
batteries. EVs will become more popular because of lower costs, better
features, and more models. As EVs become common enough that they are
perceived as normal choices rather than novelties, we can expect an inflection point – EVs will become the status quo (Brase, 2019). We predict that
roughly 50% of the readers who read this sentence will drive or ride in an EV
(bike, car, bus, truck) sometime during the next five years.
With the progressive electrification of transportation will come more
focus on the sources of electricity, which can combine with concerns about
air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. Other states, cities, and countries
will follow the leaders (California, China, and Norway) and make a greater
effort to improve air quality by transitioning to renewable energy and zeroemission vehicles. Development of the smart grid will continue and greater
use will be made of real- time or time- of- use prices. We also expect that there
will continue to be global competition in manufacturing operations for solar
panels, solar lanterns, batteries, wind turbines, and all types of EVs (electric
bikes, cars, buses, and trucks). This global competition will lead to further
developments that will be beneficial to society.
References
Bogmans, C. (2019, April). Falling costs make wind, solar more affordable. World
Economic Outlook, International Monetary Fund; blogs.imf.org/
Brase, G.L. (2019). What would it take to get you into an electric car? Consumer
perceptions and decision making about electric vehicles. The Journal of
Psychology: Interdisciplinary and Applied 153: 214– 236. doi:10.1080/ 00223980.
2018.1511515.
EIA (2019, May 21). Kansas state profile and energy estimates. US Energy Information
Administration; www.eia.gov/
Erickson, L.E. (2017). Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality;
Two global challenges. Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy 36: 982– 988.
Erickson, L.E., Robinson, J., Brase, G., and Cutsor, J. (2017). Solar Powered Charging
Infrastructure for Electric Vehicles: A Sustainable Development. CRC Press, Boca
Raton, Florida.
Fehrenbacher, K. (2019, March 25). Electric buses and trucks charge ahead. Green Biz.;
www.greenbiz.com/
Gardiner, B. (2019) Choked: Life and Breath in the Age of Air Pollution. University of
Chicago Press.