Electric Cars, Air Quality, and the Environment Happy Earth Day! April is the month for sustainability. Not only are we celebrating the Earth today, but Air Quality Awareness Week is just around the corner on May 3-7! This week on the Blog, we’re rounding up a few facts and statistics about emissions, air quality, and the environment.
Transportation is the top source of greenhouse gas emissions There’s no getting around it: transportation pollutes. According to the EPA, transportation contributed 29% of all US emissions in 2019. That’s an increase from 28.2% in just 2018. And while pandemic lockdowns did reduce travel in 2020, those changes are only temporary. Most of these transportation emissions come from burning fossil fuels in the internal combustion engines (ICE) of gasoline and diesel vehicles. This air pollution includes “particulate matter (PM), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)” and air toxins such as “benzene, formaldehyde, and diesel particulate matter.” Electric vehicles are an essential alternative to these polluting vehicles.
Studies show that air pollution hurts school students
Two studies released in 2019 linked air pollution to student behavior and test scores. One study evaluated schools where test scores dropped the year after a factory was built within two miles of the campus. Evidence also suggested that a decrease in attendance and an increase in suspensions could also be linked to the new factory. Another study followed students who moved up from elementary to middle school or middle to high school (without changing residence). This study linked lower test scores and higher behavior incidents to moving to a school that was downwind of a major highway. Why do these studies matter? Because clean air helps the next generations grow and prosper. Reducing vehicle emissions creates a better community for children and adults. Read more: https://semaconnect.in/2021/04/electric-cars-air-quality-and-theenvironment/