Are Electric Vehicles Really Eco-Friendly?

 As the Philippines the Universe rather continues to raise concerns over its climate, it has reached to my concern that electric cars (EVs) have been widely promoted as the future green transport. EVs are in crucial need here in the philippines, because of the never ending pollution it caused. Electric Vehicles promise the world to free it from fossil fuels and make our environment cleaner; however, it has been argued that the environmental footprint of use of EVs is not as small as people present them. Energy consumption, battery production, and waste management are all complicated concepts in the conception of EVs as purely ecologically friendly alternatives.  While electric cars have an environmental benefit in that they reduce carbon emissions, the production of them is largely tied up with the energy requirements and recycling issues that expose that they do not fully conserve the environment. 

The International Energy Agency calculates that EVs produce 60-70% less CO₂ over the lifecycle of a vehicle if charged with clean energy than their equivalents gas-powered vehicles would.  In cities, the replacement of EVs reduces adverse pollutants like nitrogen oxides, which in turn reduces exposure to respiratory diseases. The environmental costs of EV battery production can not be understated against emission savings. Lithium-ion battery production extracts such rare minerals as cobalt, nickel, and lithium, degrading the environment. Studies concluded that the initial production of an EV would release a more considerable amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere compared to producing a gasoline-powered vehicle because producing the battery and extracting its metals is highly energy-intensive. For example, according to a study at MIT: an EV will produce between 70% more emissions in production than an ICE vehicle. While production of EV batteries is, of course not surprisingly intensive on resources, such emissions are ultimately balanced out as the efficiency of the vehicle pushes over time. For most EVs, extra emissions created during its own production lifetime are offset by 1-2 years of use. This is considered dependent on the regional energy grid. Governments and manufacturers are also exploring sustainable mining practices and recycling programs to avoid further environmental damage. For instance, companies like Tesla have initiated battery recycling systems that recover valuable material. Since more countries are adopting renewable energy sources, this impact will continue to decrease in the production and then the recharging of EVs. Filipinos has made a great idea to generate Ev's. This simply symbolizes Filipino's reciliency despite of the challenges towards a brighter future.

Concluding it all together, it means that electric vehicles offers a meaningful environmental benefits since, at the operational stage, emissions reduce, making them a cleaner option compared to the fuel-guzzling gas vehicle. But a challenge such as the environmental cost incurred during the production of a battery, the dependency on an energy grid, and access to sufficient renewable energy reveals that they are not entirely eco-friendly. With continuously improving sustainable mining technologies and recycling technologies as well as new renewable sources of energy, electric cars may become much more practical in the long term. Flawed though they are, electric vehicles form an important step in the global process to make better futures for everyone.