When it comes to climate issues, not much middle ground

Cardinal News has been selected by the American Press Institute Project to participate in a nationwide project to promote civic discourse. We are partnering with the Roanoke Collaboration Project to give people in our demographically and politically changing communities the tools to engage in constructive dialogue. This is part of that project. You can read previous essays on our Cardinal Way page.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently declared that a state mandate that required Virginia to adhere to California’s standards for electric vehicles no longer applies.

The law may be in dispute, but what’s really in dispute is how serious climate change is, and how far the government should go to encourage a transition from gasoline-powered cars to electric-powered ones.

We recently ran competing essays on the electric vehicle question by state Secretary of Natural Travis Voyles (representing Youngkin) and Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell , D-Fairfax County, and asked readers a series of questions about them.

The results aren’t scientific, in the sense that the responses on each side could be said to represent a specific percentage of Virginians. However, they do help show the range of opinion on the topic — and the gap between those who aren’t concerned about the climate and those who see it as an existential threat to humanity.

“I don’t consider it an issue at all,” said Frank Palmeri of Ferrum. “The climate’s been changing for millions of years” — which is true; the concern now is how much human activity is interfering with nature.

“Not a problem,” said Bob Smith of Indian Valley in Floyd County. “Have seen no catastrophic effect over the past 55 years.”

And then there’s Robert Goldsmith of Abingdon: “Global warming is an existential threat to humanity.”

Those two points of view also drive how people feel about the government getting involved in fuel standards.

“Electric vehicles are like any other product,” said Bill Tross of Brightwood in Madison County. “Let the free market govern its success.”

Thomas Throckmorton Sr. of Hardy agreed: “Government should not interfere with supply and demand.”

Ethan Betterton of Richmond phrased that a different way: “When I turn my lights on, I am not concerned with the provenance of the electrons, I am concerned that the lights will, in fact, turn on, and that the electrons were produced in the cheapest and most efficient way possible in order to minimize the cost of electricity to myself. I am fully supportive of all kinds of energy; I do not care how the electricity is produced so long as it is reliable and affordable.”

Those views contrast sharply with those of people who see a warming planet as a threat.

“Because one of the roles of government is protect the common good and prevent any one sector of the economy from causing catastrophic harm, it needs to implement strategies to protect us all from harmful business practices — like continuing to support the use of gas-powered vehicles,” said Deirdre “Dede” Goldsmith of Abingdon.

Lelia Cross of Roanoke agreed: “The government should be able to do as much as is necessary. This is not a, ‘I’ve got my rights!’ scenario. However, politics have made people blind to long term consequences and many simply care only to do what their leaders tell them to do. Their leaders are only interested in accruing more wealth and power for themselves, thinking perhaps that their money will insulate them from the adverse consequences of climate change. The short-sightedness is appalling.”

While no one came down in the middle on whether the climate poses a threat, some did come down in the middle on how much the government should encourage a switch to electric vehicles.

“Laissez faire will ensure that nothing gets done,” said Pam Kirkner of Dublin. On the other hand, she worries that “the technology for EVs is not far enough along to solve problems such as the length of usage/travel time on vehicle batteries’ charges and the colossal fires requiring tens of thousands of gallons of water to extinguish them, and a very likely pavement repair as a result.”

Raymond Hollinger of Fredericksburg says that climate change is serious but is concerned that the electric grid “cannot support the transition” to electric vehicles.

Several readers said they own electric vehicles or were thinking about buying one. However, it’s clear that some consumers are concerned that electric vehicles take too long to charge. Paul  Dodaro of Leesburg said this is why he doesn’t own an EV: “Would like to get where I am going.”

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