The new Plug In America public service announcement (PSA) may be
a satire on Americaâ€™s addiction to oil, and it may be just a
gimmick to get attention, but are the environmental benefits of
electricity vs. gas power so clear? While the PSA raises valid
discussion points about our choices, itâ€™s not so simple a
matter. What the PSA doesn't address is that the environmental
benefits of plugging in are only fully realized when the
generation of electricity is from a clean and sustainable
source. Solar and wind power represent two clean alternatives to
coal or nuclear power. Coal-fired power plants are the largest
source of CO2 emissions in the U.S.; they emit more CO2 than
residential and commercial energy use; even more than surface
transport. While hydroelectric and new renewable sources account
for just over ten percent of energy generation in the U.S., they
emit no CO2 once installed. Considering the correlation between
CO2 and global warming, electric cars are better for the
environment than gas guzzlers