Tomorrow, the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Ian Bowles, will announce new state support for electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them.  This is great news for the environment and the economy.

Electric vehicles are a vital piece of the puzzle when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other harmful pollutants from the transportation sector.  These benefits are multiplied when electric cars are powered by clean renewable energy such as wind and solar.  In fact, electric cars are especially compatible with wind power which is often at its height when electric cars are charging at night.  Although these benefits are dampened in parts of the country where coal-fired power provides the majority of electricity, electric cars are still an improvement over the status quo.   So purging the system of old coal-fired power plants will maximize the positive impacts of these vehicles.

In addition, electric vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf will need charging stations, batteries, and maintenance—all of which will create solid, new green collar jobs.  One of the fastest growing electric car battery manufacturers started right here in Massachusetts, and with programs like the one at UMass Lowell (which is hosting the summit) and other leading educational institutions in Massachusetts, this sector will continue to grow and provide revenues and jobs for years to come.  This announcement is yet another sign of Massachusetts’ commitment to fight climate change by embracing innovative solutions.  It follows on the heels of, and will support the agreement entered into between Massachusetts and Nissan earlier this year.

Electric vehicles are one of the significant types of technologies that would benefit from the adoption of a regional Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that is being developed by eleven Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and would create a robust market for transportation fuels that are cleaner than petroleum.  Of course, electric cars are only one piece of the puzzle.  Increasing public transit, supporting smart growth, and reducing vehicle miles traveled are also essential to cutting the climate change impacts from transporation which is currently the fastest growing sector for greenhouse gas emissions.

Check out the work that CLF is doing to promote a regional low carbon fuel standard and increased public transit, and take action to support transportation solutions for the entire region.

I’m one of those people who believes that climate change is the biggest challenge facing the planet, but I was baffled about how to react when I saw the Polar Bear ad for the Nissan Leaf®.  At first I thought it must be an ad by one of the national environmental groups, and I was shocked that they could afford the spot on the opening night of Thursday Night Football®.  When I realized it was an ad for an electric car, I couldn’t decide whether to be thrilled or concerned.  On one hand, I am thankful to see a multi-national corporation embracing the problem of climate change and investing in solutions.  Nissan’s commitment is virtually heroic when compared to the oil and coal industries’ multi-million dollar campaigns to confuse the world about the reality of climate change.  In addition, emissions from cars and trucks are one of the most rapidly growing sources of greenhouse gas pollution in the United States and worldwide, and electric cars are a promising solution. So why couldn’t I just enjoy the moment and applaud a victory in the climate change battle?

Two reasons.

First, fueling cars on electricity isn’t as effective if that electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. This is a real-world example of jumping “out of the frying pan and into the fire.”  If we reduce gasoline use but ramp up coal burning and all the things that come with it—mountaintop removal mining, strip mining, coal ash, mercury pollution and so on—then we reduce positive impacts of electric cars, and  contribute to plenty of other environmental damage.[1] Solving the problem of climate change demands action on all fronts, not just a transformation of the cars we drive, but of the electricity that fuels them and the rest of our society. If electric cars are really going to be part of the solution, then we must work to get renewable energy flowing through the transmission lines that power them. At the same time, we must also work to reduce our overall energy demand through energy efficiency and other new technologies.

Second, I love polar bears. Sometimes I almost cry during the Coke® ads, but I worry that when people see us pointing to polar bears and penguins as the victims of climate change, they will fail to see it as a problem that impacts people.  I understand that pictures of the wreckage from Hurricane Katrina,  victims of flooding in the Midwest or Pakistan or countless other “natural disasters” intensified by climate change are painful to see and painful to contemplate, but they are just as much the symbol of climate change as polar bears.

I know I can’t expect Nissan to focus its ad campaign on maximizing awareness and action on climate change, and that creating a market for and successfully putting electric cars on the road is already a big step forward; however, I hope ads like Nissan’s, will move people to think about all of the everyday choices we make that affect the climate and not just what kind of cars we drive Here are just a few of the ways that you can fight climate change:

1. Maximize energy efficiency at home. Check out some of the incentives and rebates available.
2. Ask your electric provider if they have a renewable energy option. National Grid offers a GreenUp option, and NStar offers NStar Green and a number of other providers.
3. Bike or use public transit whenever you can.  MassBike provides great information and training on commuting.
4. Become a CLF member to learn about climate change issues in Massachusetts.

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[1] Notably, this is less of an issue in areas like New England where natural gas power plants make up the bulk of the electric grid.