Environment

NPR - Electric vehicles are considered cleaner than its alternatives, but fewer Americans are convinced. According to the market research firm Ipsos, the percentage of Americans who believe EVs are better for the environment than gas cars has decreased by five percentage points since 2022. People interested in purchasing an EV remain steadfast in believing these vehicles offer an environmental benefit. It's the individuals who are not open to adopting the electric alternative who are increasingly skeptical. Here’s where that is coming from:

🚗 EVs are often called zero-emission vehicles because they produce no tailpipe emissions. However, there are pollution and environmental costs associated with building them and charging their batteries.

🚗 Brake emissions are a concern for EVs due to their weight. Nick Molden, the researcher behind the original Emission Analytics study, suggests that regenerative braking, which captures a car's energy when it's slowing down and stores it for later use, could offset this effect.

🚗 EV sales in the U.S. have slowed down. In fact, automotive data giant J.D. Power predicts the share of new-car sales for EVs has just peaked for the year at 9.2%.
🚗 Charging accessibility is one of the main reasons people interested in EVs are hesitant to buy one, according to J.D. Power’s tracking.

NPR -  California filed a groundbreaking lawsuit against ExxonMobil yesterday, alleging the company spent decades deceiving the public about whether plastic could be recycled. Despite knowing that recycling plastics was technically and economically challenging, the company still promoted recycling as a viable option. The lawsuit calls out ExxonMobil's attempt to blame the public for a plastic crisis the state’s top prosecutor says the company created. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state has spent over $1 billion each year to manage its plastic waste problems.