A grand portion of the American cultural has been built around one of our nation’s greatest contributions to society: The automobile.
From Henry Ford to Elon Musk, Americans have long been fascinated with cars. They are not only one of the most important tools we have at our disposal, but the care we take in choosing a vehicle says a great deal about us as human beings.
But the automobile isn’t universally loved, as a number of climate warriors have begun to rail against this symbol of American freedom and prestige on account of the fossil fuels that are needed to keep them running.
This has the state of California making a big leap.
California regulators unveiled a plan to ban the sale of new gas cars by 2035 on Thursday, the state’s latest effort to combat greenhouse gas emissions.
The plan from the California Air Resources Board calls for 35% of new car sales in the state to be battery or hydrogen-powered by 2026, according to CNBC. The board will vote on the proposal in August.
And, believe it or not, the move was not approved by the legislative body of the Sunshine State.
The order, if enacted, would represent the fruition of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s September 2020 executive order aiming to ban new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035.
“Pull away from the gas pumps,” Newsom said. “Let us no longer be victims of geopolitical dictators that manipulate global supply chains and global markets.”
There are, of course, other geopolitical and cultural concerns about electric cars as well, as the lithium mining required to produce these vehicles comes with its own unique sets of scurrilous circumstances.
