Georgia Is Becoming An EV Leader -That’s Good For Our Climate

As a local weather scientist and native son of Georgia, I couldn’t be extra enthusiastic about what’s unfolding in my house state. Georgia is quickly changing into a serious participant within the Electrical Automobile (EV) manufacturing and associated infrastructure area. Whereas that is actually good for the Georgia financial system, additionally it is a win for each inhabitant of Earth. Right here’s why I say that.

Georgia’s Governor introduced this week that Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) and SK On will construct a brand new EV battery manufacturing facility in Bartow County. Touted as one of many largest financial develop tasks in Georgia historical past, it comes on the heels of different current main EV-related investments throughout the state. In line with the press launch issued by the Governor’s workplace, investments in EV-related tasks since 2020 are round $17 billion and will result in almost 23,000 jobs. Earlier in 2022, Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America broke floor on EV manufacturing facility in Bryan County. In 2021, state officers introduced that Rivian would make EV vehicles within the state of Georgia. For those who take a trip by way of Northeast Georgia on Interstate 85, it’s exhausting to overlook the sprawling SK Battery America facility alongside the freeway in Commerce, Georgia. This facility, when totally operational, manufacture EV batteries for Ford and Volkswagen.

Rising up in Cherokee County, this “Georgia Boy” bear in mind family and household pals making the commute to Doraville, Georgia to work on the previous Common Motors manufacturing unit. Ford Motor Firm and Kia have additionally cemented the state footprint within the automotive trade. Nonetheless, the local weather scientist in me is giddy about how the state’s management on EVs will assist the local weather disaster. Scientific proof is obvious. Local weather is altering and anthropogenic actions like burning fossil fuels is a serious cause why. In line with a Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration press launch, “Carbon dioxide measured at NOAA’s Mauna Loa Atmospheric Baseline Observatory peaked for 2022 at 421 components per million in Could, pushing the environment additional into territory not seen for tens of millions of years.”

After I have a look at the state of Georgia, the fingerprints of local weather change are obvious in our valued farming communities and fisheries. Sea stage rise threatens are vibrant coastal communities. The impacts of warming, drought, and extra intense rainstorms are problematic in our rural and concrete communities. For instance, Hurricane Michael severely disrupted the agricultural basket of Georgia. Our nation depends upon that very area for merchandise made with cotton, peanuts, pecans, poultry, and extra. Scientific analyses proceed to level to an rising era of stronger storms. Cities like Atlanta and Savannah face a triple-whammy of typical Georgia warmth, local weather change-amplified heatwaves, and concrete warmth islands. A lot of our most weak residents dwell in city areas. Sure, local weather and excessive climate varies naturally, however they now have a human steroid on prime of it.

The Ray C. Andersen Basis, in recent times, funded the Drawdown Georgia effort to quantify methods to scale back carbon emissions by 2030. Led by Professor Marilyn Brown on the Georgia Institute of Expertise, the mission additionally included students from the College of Georgia, Georgia State College, and Emory College. In 2020, the crew launched preliminary findings figuring out 20 high-impact local weather options which might be optimum for the state of Georgia. The options spanned the sectors of electrical energy, buildings & supplies, transportation, meals & agriculture, and land sinks. In line with a Drawdown Georgia Weblog, “The electrical energy and transportation sector wedges are the most important on the graph (under) due to the numerous influence that options like large-scale photo voltaic (or photo voltaic farms) and energy-efficient vehicles are projected to have within the state.”

In line with Drawdown Georgia’s web site, autos produced 41% of the state’s GHG emissions. That’s the single largest supply. The web site goes on to say, “Switching out gasoline and diesel-powered autos for electrical autos, rising mass transit, and adopting extra various transportation choices will assist us dramatically scale back these emissions.” For this reason the state of Georgia’s management within the EV world is so encouraging. In fact, it has a direct influence on our state’s financial growth. Nonetheless, additionally it is a downpayment on the well-being of our planet and youngsters’ future too. We don’t have a Plan B planet. I’m about to hope in my EV now to run an errand.