Introduction
Electric cars have gained significant popularity in the recent period as a sustainable and cleaner alternative to conventional gasoline-powered vehicles. Electric cars have been hailed as one of the crucial initiatives toward achieving a green alternative through reduced carbon emissions and their ability to combat climate change. However, the adoption of electric cars in the ever-evolving landscape of environmental ethics has triggered debates that go beyond technological advancements. Just like any other technological advancement, electric cars are associated with various environmental and ethical concerns. This research contends that while electric cars hold immense benefits towards achieving a green future, their adoption and proliferation raise philosophical questions related to sourcing of raw materials, battery disposal, and ecological footprint. Exploration of these environmental ethics aspects would offer profound insights to all key stakeholders to develop necessary measures, not only towards achieving a greener future but also sustainable transportation.
Extraction of Raw Materials
Idemudia, Tuokuu, and Essah (2022) were correct when they said, “extraction of raw materials leads to degradation of land and violation of human rights.” It is undeniable that the manufacturing of electric cars heavily relies on the extraction of raw materials. Also, these materials are important as they are a key driver to technological advancements, as evident in enhancing innovations of electric cars. However, the sourcing of these materials is a primary ethical issue for the environment, particularly in the developing countries where they are sourced. Usually, materials used in the production of electric cars, such as cobalt, nickel, and lithium, are rare to find. The extraction of these materials takes place in developing countries without strict environmental regulations, consequently resulting in severe environmental degradation and abuse of human rights. Most human rights violations exist in the form of social, economic, and cultural rights. This involves disputes in land ownership, lack of local involvement in decision-making related to material extraction, and loss of traditional sources of livelihood, as people in the extraction cities are forced to vacate from their own land without any formal and respectful procedures (Idemudia et al., 2022).
One objection that may be raised to this claim is that while the extraction of electric cars presents various challenges, it also holds immense opportunities and economic benefits to developing countries, particularly through job creation and revenue generation from selling raw materials (Idemudia et al., 2022). This is true, but obeying human rights is the most respected thing globally, and anything that leads to a violation of human rights, regardless of the benefits it holds, must be declared void. Furthermore, the degradation of land without any meaningful measures to restore it may have long-term consequences for the regional people. It is very important for global and regional lawmakers in the respective countries to develop strict regulations that would govern the raw material extraction process. Also, electric car manufacturers should seek to ensure that mining and sourcing of raw materials are conducted ethically and responsibly and that all the practices involved in the extraction process translate to the core goal of attaining a greener future.
Battery Disposal
Environmental and ethical concerns may arise in the context of ineffective recycling and disposal of electric car batteries. While it is true that these batteries have a long life and generate few emissions, when it comes to their recycling at the time they can no longer be used, they may lead to long-term ethical implications for the environment (Beaudet et al., 2020). These batteries have toxic chemicals that may result in extreme environmental pollution if not well disposed of. Some chemicals, including nickel and cobalt, are very toxic and may have long-term effects on the environment. The issue of concern is the lack of sustainable measures laid forth to deal with the increasing stock of electric car batteries that have to be collected and processed at their end of life end of life. By 2030, it is expected that over 50% of electric car batteries will have reached the end-of-life point (Beaudet et al., 2020). This presents a significant threat to the environment, especially to the future generation, since up to date, there are no laid standard recycling procedures for electric car batteries, which has been challenged by the diversity arising in electric vehicles.
Objections to this claim may argue that electric car batteries produce fewer emissions to the environment, alleviate toxicity, safety, and contamination risk, and are very reliable in mineral extraction since they only use lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, and other metals (Beaudet et al., 2020). However, it is important to note that, while these claims are true, they only render benefits in the short run; without having large-scale recycling standard procedures, the wrong disposal of electric car batteries presents a significant threat to the environment, which may leave a big problem for the future generation to deal with (Tankou et al., 2023). It is very important now, considering that the electric car population continues to increase for the government, innovators, industry consumers, and investors to come together to develop standard recycling procedures and create ethical and sustainable electrical car batteries that can be used in the electronic industry and electric vehicles.
Ecological Footprint
Woodley did not miss it when he once said, “If you are somebody who drives a fair amount, then you are likely well-suited to drive an electric vehicle, “If, on the other hand, you are someone who seldom drives, and the vehicle is mostly going to sit in the garage, then you may counterintuitively be better off owning a gasoline-powered vehicle (Krishna, 2021). ” this statement holds significance to both electric cars manufacturers and consumers. The ethical assertion that electric cars are eco-friendly only applies to the consumers, who drive a fair amount in consideration that electric cars tend to be cleaner drive in terms of gas emissions when compared to traditional vehicles. However, the process involved in manufacturing electric car batteries is so intense that it even results in greater emissions than whattraditional gasoline-powered cars emit during their drive. This means that any negative consequences resulting from the manufacturing processes due to green emissions, as justified, are justified by the priority to effectively decarbonize transportation by all means possible (Remme & Jackson, 2023). To offset these negative consequences of green emission damage, from the manufacturing stage, one of the key strategies is electric cars are supposed to attain a certain mileage threshold and lead to eco-friendly benefits, which many buyers do not seem to realize (Krishna, 2021).
The ethical implication revolves around the trade between cleaner drive operation of the electric cars and the missions during their manufacturing process, which leads to greater environmental impact. This means that the core goal of attaining eco-friendly operations, on which the manufacturing of electric cars is based, loses its essence if the consumers do not reach the required mileage threshold to offset the initial damage to the environment during the manufacturing phase (Krishna, 2021). The ethical question that arises in this aspect is, do consumers understand these requirements before they decide to buy electric cars? Should manufacturers look for more sophisticated manufacturing processes that minimize negative environmental impact?
While objection to this claim may be presented to argue that electric cars are eco-friendly as they do not produce gas emissions, and other aspects such as their batteries are long-lasting, hence minimum disposal to the environment it is important to consider, ethical issues that arise right from their operations, yet there seems to be no effective measure taken to offset the damage seen in the production phase (Remme & Jackson, 2023). Manufacturers should take core responsibility and create awareness among consumers on the things to consider before they decide to buy electric cars; it is also important for manufacturers to seek more sustainable manufacturing processes that are eco-friendly and do not present significant harm to the surroundings. Policymakers may intervene by regulating production procedures that are environmentally intense and contribute to significant emissions.
Conclusion
The ethical implications of electric cars on the environment extend beyond their core benefit, contrary to what many people would think. This includes ethical implications associated with the extraction process right from mining raw materials such as lithium and nickel, which has been attributed to environment degradation and violation of human rights, wrong disposal of expired batteries will see future generations dealing with a significant challenge of the polluted environment in the future, also the manufacturing phase of electric car batteries has been established to have emissions on the environment which are not offset by cleaner drive benefit. Addressing these issues becomes an integral component of attaining a green future and sustainable transport, which is the main objective of electric cars. As the electric car market continues to expand, it is very important for all key stakeholders, government, policymakers, investors, and consumers to come together and develop effective measures such as innovations in the manufacturing and recycling processes. By addressing these issues, we are assured that electric cars not only contribute to a greener future but also to a more sustainable world.
References
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Idemudia, U., Tuokuu, F. X., & Essah, M. (2022). The extractive industry and human rights in Africa: Lessons from the past and future directions. Resources Policy, 78, 102838. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resourpol.2022.102838
Krishna, G. (2021). Understanding and identifying barriers to electric vehicle adoption through thematic analysis. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 10, 100364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2021.100364
Tankou, A., Bieker, G., & Hall, D. (2023). Scaling up reuse and recycling of electric vehicle batteries: Assessing challenges and policy approaches. https://theicct.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/recycling-electric-vehicle-batteries-feb-23.pdf
Remme, D., & Jackson, J. (2023). Green mission creep: The unintended consequences of circular economy strategies for electric vehicles. Journal of Cleaner Production, 394, 136346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.136346
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