Self Driving Environment

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Making the right decision In the article “Are Self Driving Vehicles Good for The Environment?” by Ucicla Wang she discusses the advantages of how self-driving vehicles may be beneficial to the environment. Self-driving cars provide benefits while believing it is reducing carbon emissions. In reality, it might be doing the complete opposite while lengthening travel time, using unbeneficial electricity, and making unsafe environmental decisions. Electric cars need to be light so it does not use as much energy. These cars requiring “high performing metals” therefore mining will be required to find these metals. The metals are required for the lithium car batteries and special magnets for important parts like the headlights. Essentially, when they go to get these metals: “Only 0.2% is what is needed and the other 99.8% is toxic chemicals which are dumped back into the environment”. Wade compares this damage “Just like oil drilling”. That small amount of special metal will not go far so going back into the earth and bring out all these toxins will happen until enough is gathered. Once we make the switch to all self-driving vehicles all these toxins will be in the air. “Some of the ideas for saving fuel and reducing carbon footprints require a less complex …show more content…

Overall the question still remains what would be economically the best decision based on actual fact. Reading Wang’s article, it brushes the surface of what we want to hear the good things about how electric car could benefit in all aspects. Wade’s article brings up good points to counter all the possible negative economic effects. After reading both articles it brings up even more questions on what is going on behind the scenes. We all really will not know what everything is like until the time comes to when ordering a car to the driveway of our