NSBE - Conference 2012 - (Page 109)

eCars and the ON THE eDGe environment toyota prius A re electric vehicles, the allelectric ones and those that can switch over to a gasoline engine, as good for the environment as they’re cracked up to be? All of the big automakers here and abroad have started manufacturing electric vehicles, and President Obama has called for one million to be on the nation’s roads by 2015. The environmental advantages seem obvious. After all, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has called the traditional automobile, powered by the internal combustion engine and gasoline, the nation’s single greatest polluter in many big cities. Gas-powered autos also produce a big share of greenhouse gas emissions, which are causing global warming. By contrast, all-electric cars produce no greenhouse gases or other pollutants harmful to health. They don’t even have tailpipes. Even electric cars with an auxiliary gasoline engine — called plug-in hybrids — produce far fewer emissions than conventional car engines. However, even all-electric cars are not completely clean. They may produce zero emissions while running, but what about the creation of the energy that powers their batteries? By peter Slavin Unless an electric car’s power comes from a renewable source — such as the sun or wind — dangerous emissions are released at the power plant that generates the electricity. Most electricity in this country is still generated by burning coal or natural gas, and these are Continued on page 110 fossil fuels, which create greenhouse gases. Chevy Volt • CAREER ENGINEER • Convention 2012 • 109 www.nsbe.org http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Conference 2012

NSBE - Conference 2012
Table of Contents
Passing the Torch
The Programs Zone
Membership News
NSBE Mourns the Loss of Mario Church, Former National Chair
NSBE Makes STEM Education Pledge to the Clinton Global Initiative
SEEK 2012 Update
Kevin Austin of TEMA
Courtney Skinner of GE
William S. Redmond III of NAVAIR
Dr. Bryan Reid of MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Janelle Johnson of PGW
Tyrone Strozier of General Dynamics C4 Systems
Rashad Nelson of ITW
International News
NSBE Calendar
Things to Do in Pittsburgh
Cummins Scores Big at NSBE Conferences
Golden Torch Award Winners
The Professional’s Perspective
The Engineering Work Force, 2012 Supply, Demand and Diversity
On the Edge
AE Members on the Move
Employer Profiles
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Conference 2012