Electric Car

In further giving away how scholarly my reading/viewing habits are, I will disclose that I can sometimes be found watching the Martha show (these days, mostly to enjoy how ignorant Martha looks when she bosses everyone around). Today Martha had a segment on about "green" cars. Apparently this whole week features something "green," in honor of Earth Day. (I don't think the clip can be found on her website, but the link is to the show).

Anyway, she had this lady on from GM talking about how hybrid cars and electric cars are the answer. We've already discussed hybrid cars, and Reason Magazine's thoughts on them. Martha and this woman were really gung-ho about electric cars though, frequently touting how there are zero emissions from these cars, and all you have to do is plug it in at night. They were really put forward as the answer to making yourself feel good about your American driving habits.

I sat there amazed that they made it sound so appealing, with no thought or mention of how electricity is supplied. Where are the zero emissions from a coal-burning plant? "And all you have to do is plug it into your wall. You don't use a drop of gasoline!" I don't think so! I'm also pretty sure Martha's fleet of Suburbans and Lincolns often shown on the show aren't very "green."


Americans are buying into this crap because they don't understand how it all works, and celebrities' "holier than thou" lectures on being green fuels it further.