{"id":331079,"date":"2021-08-27T14:05:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-27T11:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/"},"modified":"2021-08-27T14:05:00","modified_gmt":"2021-08-27T11:05:00","slug":"the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"#The Conversation: Climate change is an infrastructure problem\u2014as this map of EV charging stations shows"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393fd0d2c95\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a393fd0d2c95\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/#Investments_in_the_energy_systems_and_networks_needed_to_move_away_from_fossil_fuels_look_cheap_compared_to_the_alternative_of_doing_nothing\" >Investments in the energy systems and networks needed to move away from fossil fuels look cheap compared to the alternative of doing nothing<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-6' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/#Gas_stations_were_transport_infrastructure_too\" >Gas stations were transport infrastructure, too<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/#The_infrastructure_bill\" >The infrastructure bill<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-6'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/#More_expert_views_on_climate_change\" >More expert views on climate change<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-conversation-climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-as-this-map-of-ev-charging-stations-shows\/#Paul_N_Edwards\" >Paul N. Edwards<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#The Conversation: Climate change is an infrastructure problem\u2014as this map of EV charging stations shows<\/strong>&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article__subhead\" itemprop=\"alternativeHeadline\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Investments_in_the_energy_systems_and_networks_needed_to_move_away_from_fossil_fuels_look_cheap_compared_to_the_alternative_of_doing_nothing\"><\/span>\n  Investments in the energy systems and networks needed to move away from fossil fuels look cheap compared to the alternative of doing nothing<br \/>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"column column--full article__content\">\n<div class=\"article__side\">\n<div class=\"container--sticky not-active\">\n<div id=\"cx-next\" data-nosnippet>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"js-article__body\" class=\"article__body article-wrap at16-col16 barrons-article-wrap\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000388766\">\n<div class=\"barrons-article-ad-wrapper\">\n<div data-track=\"barrons-article-ad-wrap\" class=\"barrons-article-ad sticky_item\">\n<div class=\"barrons-main-article-ad-target sticky_target body_ad\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div data-layout=\"\n                inline\" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetArticleReader\n              \n              inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetArticleReader\n              article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"media-object-article-reader\">\n<div class=\"audioplayer\" data-sbid=\"WP-MKTW-0000388766\" role=\"region\" aria-label=\"Listen to Article\" tabindex=\"-1\" id=\"articlereader\" data-show-title=\"false\" data-theme=\"wsj-article-reader\" data-show-header=\"false\" data-show-subscribe=\"false\" data-ads-enabled=\"true\" data-save-publication=\"false\">\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>       Most of America\u2019s\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/iag\/tgs\/iag447.htm#about\" class=\"icon none\">107,000 gas stations<\/a>\u00a0can fill several cars every five or 10 minutes at multiple pumps. Not so for electric-vehicle chargers\u2014at least not yet. Today the U.S. has around 43,000 public EV charging stations, with\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/afdc.energy.gov\/fuels\/electricity_locations.html#\/analyze?fuel=ELEC&amp;country=US\" class=\"icon none\">about 106,000 outlets<\/a>. Each outlet can charge only one vehicle at a time, and even\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/afdc.energy.gov\/fuels\/electricity_infrastructure.html\" class=\"icon none\">fast-charging outlets<\/a>\u00a0take an hour to provide 180-240 miles\u2019 worth of charge; most take much longer.<\/p>\n<div class=\"paywall\">\n       The existing network is\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/bradtempleton\/2020\/07\/09\/the-future-of-ev-charging-may-be-at-50kw-not-the-gasoline-thinking-of-250kw\/?sh=2bf0f3397535\" class=\"icon none\">acceptable for many purposes<\/a>. But chargers are very unevenly distributed; almost a third of all outlets are in California. This makes EVs problematic for long <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">trip<\/a>s, like the 550 miles of sparsely populated desert highway between Reno and Salt Lake City. \u201cRange anxiety\u201d about longer trips is one reason electric vehicles still make up\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/2021\/03\/10\/climate\/electric-vehicle-fleet-turnover.html\" class=\"icon none\">fewer than 1%<\/a>\u00a0of U.S. passenger cars and trucks.<\/p>\n<p> This uneven, limited charging infrastructure is one major roadblock to rapid electrification of the U.S. vehicle fleet, considered crucial to reducing the greenhouse-gas emissions driving climate change.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also a clear example of how climate change is an infrastructure problem\u2014my specialty as a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/pne.people.si.umich.edu\/vastmachine\/index.html\" class=\"icon none\">historian of climate science<\/a>\u00a0at Stanford University and editor of the book <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/books\/series\/infrastructures\" class=\"icon none\">Infrastructures<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n        media-object-image\n        enlarge-image\n        img-inline\n        article__inset__image\n      \" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:85.28571428571429%;\" data-subtype=\"photo\" class=\"image-container  responsive-media article__inset__image__image\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=540&amp;size=1.1721611721611722 540w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=620&amp;size=1.1721611721611722 620w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=639&amp;size=1.1721611721611722 639w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=700&amp;size=1.1721611721611722 700w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=700&amp;size=1.1721611721611722&amp;pixel_ratio=1.5 1050w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=700&amp;size=1.1721611721611722&amp;pixel_ratio=2 1400w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=700&amp;size=1.1721611721611722&amp;pixel_ratio=3 2100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 979px) 620px, (max-width: 1299px) 540px, 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392041?width=700&amp;height=597\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"wsj-article-caption article__inset__image__caption\" itemprop=\"caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>       Over many decades, the U.S. has built systems of transportation, heating, cooling, manufacturing and agriculture that rely primarily on fossil fuels. The greenhouse-gas emissions that those fossil fuels release when burned have raised global temperature by about 1.1\u00b0C (2\u00b0F), with serious consequences for human lives and livelihoods, as the recent\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-i\/\" class=\"icon none\">report from the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change<\/a>\u00a0demonstrates.<\/p>\n<p>The new assessment, like its predecessor\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/sr15\/chapter\/spm\/\" class=\"icon none\">Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5\u00b0C<\/a>, shows that minimizing future climate change and its most damaging impacts will require transitioning quickly away from fossil fuels and moving instead to renewable, sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar and tidal power.<\/p>\n<p>That means reimagining how people use energy: how they travel, what and where they build, how they manufacture goods and how they grow food.<\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gas_stations_were_transport_infrastructure_too\"><\/span>Gas stations were transport infrastructure, too<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>Gas-powered vehicles with internal-combustion engines have completely dominated American road transportation for 120 years. That\u2019s a long time for\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Path_dependence\" class=\"icon none\">path dependence<\/a>\u00a0to set in, as America built out a nationwide system to support vehicles powered by fossil fuels.<\/p>\n<p>Gas stations are only the endpoints of that enormous system, which also comprises oil wells, pipelines, tankers, refineries and tank trucks\u2014an energy production and distribution infrastructure in its own right that also supplies manufacturing, agriculture, heating oil, shipping, air travel and electric-power generation.<\/p>\n<p>Without it, your average gas-powered sedan wouldn\u2019t make it from Reno to Salt Lake City either.<\/p>\n<div id=\"cx-membership-tile\"><\/div>\n<p>Fossil-fuel combustion in the transport sector is now\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/greenvehicles\/fast-facts-transportation-greenhouse-gas-emissions\" class=\"icon none\">America\u2019s largest single source<\/a>\u00a0of the greenhouse-gas emissions causing climate change. Converting to electric vehicles could reduce those emissions quite a bit. A recent\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theicct.org\/publications\/global-LCA-passenger-cars-jul2021\" class=\"icon none\">life cycle study<\/a>\u00a0found that in the U.S., a 2021 battery EV\u2014charged from today\u2019s power grid\u2014creates only about one-third as much greenhouse-gas emissions as a similar 2021 gasoline-powered car. Those emissions will fall even further as more electricity comes from renewable sources.<\/p>\n<p>Despite higher upfront costs, today\u2019s EVs are actually less expensive than gas-powered cars due to their greater energy efficiency and many fewer moving parts. An EV owner can expect to save\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/advocacy.consumerreports.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/EV-Ownership-Cost-Final-Report-1.pdf\" class=\"icon none\">$6,000 to $10,000<\/a>\u00a0over the car\u2019s lifetime versus a comparable conventional car. <\/p>\n<p>Large companies including UPS<br \/>\n        UPS,<br \/>\n        <bg-quote field=\"percentchange\" format=\"0,000.00%\" channel=\"\/zigman2\/quotes\/201245396\/composite\" class=\"negative\">-0.26%<\/bg-quote><span>,<\/span><br \/>\n       FedEx<br \/>\n        FDX,<br \/>\n        <bg-quote field=\"percentchange\" format=\"0,000.00%\" channel=\"\/zigman2\/quotes\/203047719\/composite\" class=\"negative\">-1.08%<\/bg-quote><span>,<\/span><br \/>\n       Amazon<br \/>\n        AMZN,<br \/>\n        <bg-quote field=\"percentchange\" format=\"0,000.00%\" channel=\"\/zigman2\/quotes\/210331248\/composite\" class=\"positive\">+0.51%<\/bg-quote><br \/>\n       and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenbiz.com\/article\/walmart-drives-toward-zero-emission-goal-its-entire-fleet-2040\" class=\"icon none\">Walmart<\/a><br \/>\n        WMT,<br \/>\n        <bg-quote field=\"percentchange\" format=\"0,000.00%\" channel=\"\/zigman2\/quotes\/207374728\/composite\" class=\"negative\">-1.08%<\/bg-quote><br \/>\n      <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.greenbiz.com\/article\/walmart-drives-toward-zero-emission-goal-its-entire-fleet-2040\" class=\"icon none\"><\/a> are already\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/03\/17\/976152350\/from-amazon-to-fedex-the-delivery-truck-is-going-electric\" class=\"icon none\">switching to electric delivery vehicles<\/a>\u00a0to save money on fuel and maintenance.<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            inline\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetMediaIllustration\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n        media-object-image\n        enlarge-image\n        img-inline\n        article__inset__image\n      \" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:83.42857142857143%;\" data-subtype=\"photo\" class=\"image-container  responsive-media article__inset__image__image\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=540&amp;size=1.1996251171508903 540w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=620&amp;size=1.1996251171508903 620w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=639&amp;size=1.1996251171508903 639w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=700&amp;size=1.1996251171508903 700w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=700&amp;size=1.1996251171508903&amp;pixel_ratio=1.5 1050w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=700&amp;size=1.1996251171508903&amp;pixel_ratio=2 1400w, https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=700&amp;size=1.1996251171508903&amp;pixel_ratio=3 2100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 639px) 100vw, (max-width: 979px) 620px, (max-width: 1299px) 540px, 700px\" src=\"https:\/\/images.mktw.net\/im-392040?width=700&amp;height=584\" alt=\"\" title=\"\"><\/div><figcaption class=\"wsj-article-caption article__inset__image__caption\" itemprop=\"caption\"><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>       All this will be good <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> for the climate\u2014but only if the electricity to power EVs comes from low-carbon sources such as solar, tidal, geothermal and wind. (Nuclear is also low-carbon, but expensive and politically problematic.) Since our current power grid relies on fossil fuels for about\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eia.gov\/tools\/faqs\/faq.php?id=427&amp;t=3\" class=\"icon none\">60% of its generating capacity<\/a>, that\u2019s a tall order.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve maximal climate benefits, the electric grid won\u2019t just have to supply all the cars that once used fossil fuels. Simultaneously, it will also need to meet rising demand from other fossil-fuel switch-overs, such as\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sfexaminer.com\/news\/how-electric-appliances-can-help-sf-reach-its-climate-goals\/\" class=\"icon none\">electric water heaters, heat pumps and stoves<\/a>\u00a0to replace the millions of similar <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>liances currently fueled by fossil natural gas. <\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_infrastructure_bill\"><\/span>The infrastructure bill<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>The 2020\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/netzeroamerica.princeton.edu\/img\/Princeton_NZA_Interim_Report_15_Dec_2020_FINAL.pdf\" class=\"icon none\">Net-Zero America study<\/a>\u00a0from Princeton University estimates that engineering, building and supplying a low-carbon grid that could displace most fossil-fuel uses would require an investment of around $600 billion by 2030.<\/p>\n<p>The infrastructure bill now being debated in Congress was originally designed to get partway to that goal. It initially included $157 billion for EVs and $82 billion for power-grid upgrades. In addition,\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-usa-treasury-tax-energy-idUSKBN2BU2HL\" class=\"icon none\">$363 billion in clean-energy tax credits<\/a>\u00a0would have supported low-carbon electric power sources, along with energy storage to provide backup power during periods of high demand or reduced output from renewables. <\/p>\n<p>During negotiations, however, the Senate dropped the clean-energy credits altogether and slashed EV funding by over 90%.<\/p>\n<p>Of the $15 billion that remains for electric vehicles, $2.5 billion would purchase electric school buses, while a proposed EV charging network of some 500,000 stations would get $7.5 billion\u2014about\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/energy-environment\/565266-granholm-says-infrastructure-funding-for-electric-vehicle-charging\" class=\"icon none\">half the amount needed<\/a>, according to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm.<\/p>\n<p>As for the power grid, the infrastructure bill does include about $27 billion in direct funding and loans to improve grid reliability and climate resilience. It would also create a\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.spglobal.com\/platts\/en\/market-insights\/topics\/hydrogen\" class=\"icon none\">Grid Development Authority<\/a>\u00a0under the U.S. Department of Energy, charged with developing a national grid capable of moving renewable energy throughout the country.<\/p>\n<p>The infrastructure bill may be further modified by the House before it reaches President Joe Biden\u2019s desk, but many of the elements that were dropped have been added to another bill that\u2019s headed for the House: the $3.5 trillion\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foreignpolicy.com\/2021\/08\/12\/reconciliation-biden-senate-climate-change\/\" class=\"icon none\">budget plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As agreed to by Senate Democrats, that plan incorporates many of the Biden administration\u2019s climate proposals, including tax credits for solar, wind and electric vehicles; a carbon tax on imports; and requirements for utilities to increase the amount of renewables in their energy mix. Senators can approve the budget by simple majority vote during \u201creconciliation,\u201d though by then it will almost certainly have been trimmed again.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, the bipartisan infrastructure bill looks like a small but genuine down payment on a more climate-friendly transport sector and electric power grid, all of which will take years to build out.<\/p>\n<p>But to claim global leadership in avoiding the worst potential effects of climate change, the U.S. will need at least the much larger commitment promised in the Democrats\u2019 budget plan.<\/p>\n<p>Like an electric car, that commitment will seem expensive upfront. But as the recent IPCC report reminds us, over the long term, the potential savings from avoided\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ipcc.ch\/report\/ar6\/wg1\/\" class=\"icon none\">climate risks like droughts, floods, wildfires, deadly heat waves and sea level rise<\/a>\u00a0would be far, far larger.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>Paul N. Edwards is William J. Perry Fellow in International Security and senior research scholar at Stanford University\u2019s Center for International Security and Cooperation. He also remains professor of information and history at the University of Michigan. Edwards writes and teaches about knowledge and information infrastructures. He is the author of \u201cA Vast Machine: Computer Models, Climate Data, and the Politics of Global Warming\u201d (MIT Press, 2010) and \u201cThe Closed World: Computers and the Politics of Discourse in Cold War America\u201d (MIT Press, 1996), and co-editor of \u201cChanging the Atmosphere: Expert Knowledge and Environmental Governance\u201d (MIT Press, 2001), as well as numerous articles. He was one of 234 lead authors of the 2021 Working Group I report for the Sixth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><em>This commentary was originally published by <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" class=\"icon none\">The Conversation<\/a>\u2014<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/climate-change-is-an-infrastructure-problem-map-of-electric-vehicle-chargers-shows-one-reason-why-166024\" class=\"icon none\">Climate change is an infrastructure problem\u2014map of electric vehicle chargers shows one reason\u00a0why<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h6><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"More_expert_views_on_climate_change\"><\/span>More expert views on climate change<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h6>\n<p>These emerging technologies could let us store solar and wind energy<\/p>\n<p>History shows spending on infrastructure doesn\u2019t always end well<\/p>\n<p>This year\u2019s extreme heat is bad news for U.S. economic growth<\/p>\n<div data-layout=\"inline\n                \" data-layout-mobile=\"\" class=\"\n          media-object\n          type-InsetDynamic\n            inline\n    scope-web|mobileapps\n  article__inset\n          article__inset--type-InsetDynamic\n            article__inset--inline\n  \"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dynamic-inset-container article__inset__dynamic\">\n<style>\n    .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n        margin-bottom: 5px;\n    }\n    .at16units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body.at12units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body .inline .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body .offset .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body .header .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at8units .bleed .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n    body.at4units .inline .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at4units .offset .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"],\n    body.at4units .header .wsj-interactive.generic-iframe-embed[name=\"counter\"] {\n        height: 1px;\n    }\n<\/style>\n<p><iframe class=\"wsj-interactive generic-iframe-embed\" name=\"counter\" width=\"100%\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.edu.au\/content\/166024\/count.gif\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"wsj-article-caption\" itemprop=\"caption\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"byline article__byline\">\n<p>    <span>By<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author  hasMenu\" data-scrim='{\"type\":\"author\",\"header\":\"Paul N. Edwards\",\"subhead\":\"The Wall Street Journal\",\"list\":[]}' itemscope itemprop=\"author\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<h4 itemprop=\"name\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Paul_N_Edwards\"><\/span>Paul N. Edwards<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more News articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/news\/story.asp?guid=%7B20C05575-04D4-B545-75EE-9EB7F13C66B9%7D&#038;siteid=rss&#038;rss=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#The Conversation: Climate change is an infrastructure problem\u2014as this map of EV charging stations shows&#8221; Investments in the energy systems and networks needed to move away from fossil fuels look cheap compared to the alternative of doing nothing Most of America\u2019s\u00a0107,000 gas stations\u00a0can fill several cars every five or 10 minutes at multiple pumps. Not&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":331080,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[70897],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-331079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331079","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=331079"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/331079\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/331080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=331079"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=331079"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=331079"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}