As Greg Williams informs us (Letters, 11/24), it is impossible to produce batteries, wind or solar devices or electric vehicles, without fossil fuels. That, as a standalone fact, is true.
What is also true is that America plows through 337 million gallons of gasoline per day, plus another 166 million gallons of aviation fuel.
In 2018 (earliest figures I could find), electric vehicles (EVs) displaced 323 million gallons of American gasoline usage for that year. You don’t need a degree in mathematics to recognize that amount as a proverbial drop in the bucket in terms of resource savings. But those figures are rapidly changing.
I’m not sure what form of government would be required to enforce and maintain a standard of living for “4 billion people… with all the creature comforts we have on a reasonably sustainable basis.” Sounds like a utopian pipe dream to me.
What is real is this: For every internal combustion engine-powered vehicle that is replaced by an EV or fuel cell vehicle, there is left that much more oil in the ground to produce another battery, windmill blade or solar cell.
And that “truth” is our future.
Leo Muzzy
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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