What will it take to throttle back the gas burners and expand exponentially the number of vehicles that run on electric batteries, hydrogen fuel cells or other non-fossil energy sources? Political will, strong government thumbs on the scale to favor zero-emission vehicles over gas burners (an all-out ban on their production and sale is likely too radical for the world, but it would certainly help), and increased spending on developing and producing clean energy sources, battery technologies and charging capabilities. That means new cars bought this year will still be on the road well into the 2030s - long after the point when we should have slashed emissions. Yet manufacturers are still making, and consumers are still buying, overwhelming numbers of vehicles that will, on average, continue to spew carbon into the atmosphere for a dozen years after they first leave the lot. Climate scientists tell us that we have less than a decade to make meaningful reductions in carbon emissions - including those from internal combustion engines - if we have any hope of staving off the worst effects of global warming. In 2019, consumers worldwide bought 64 million new personal cars and 27 million new commercial motor vehicles, a paltry 2.1 million of which were electric-powered. We must transition our transportation fleets away from burning fossil fuels, and quickly. Drivers swell the 101 Freeway in the San Fernando Valley as the sun rises.
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