Quote:
Originally Posted by Deho
It's an interesting debate.
Of course, if you *only* consider the B58 engine, it doesn't make a great difference; depriving the EU consumer of the 540i, for example, and offering the 520i as the only ICE model, won't save the planet. Nobody thinks that. And that's the biggest problem with the environmental crisis; we don't do what we should do because for individuals we perceive great sacrifices for almost no perceptible effect.
However, by getting rid of the B58 in the EU (for example), we make a small choice among millions of other small choices that WILL make a difference. If this debate about the engines of BMWs was the only one, it would be laughable. But this small debate we have here is in the context of millions of other small debates about the way we live. Transport is a huge contributor to pollution and climate change, but so are food, housing, waste management, urban planning etc. We can't ignore any of these factors.
Now, you are also comparing this choice to ones made in China and India. As you said, they also will have to change their ways. But we will have no impact if we don't do our part. And unfortunately the West has been damaging the environnement for decades and got rich by doing so, so we have a responsibility to start first. If mankind exceeds its carbon budget, it will be mostly because of us. Also, we pollute WAY MORE per individual in the West still; China and India pollute way less per person.
So we have a responsibility that is very important. If we don't make these sacrifices, I guarantee no one will.
I for one am [...]
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Going full EV doesn’t really have any net benefit. We just burn up the resources building the cars instead of running the cars. Everything you said sounds pretty in theory. Something either solves the problem or doesn’t. Individual choice shouldn’t be sacrificed in the name of symbolic gestures. Also, the world literally is not ready for full EV.
I understand chasing efficiency. But let’s actually do that. PHEV is a great current step. The over aggression toward full EV is only serving to line pockets.
And the idea that China and India will follow the lead is wild to me. Why would they?