Electric Cars Could Save Lives – NBC Bay Area

We all know exhaust and pollution from cars can accumulate and even impact our health, especially on hot days with light wind. A total of 29% of CO2 emissions each year comes from transportation. In the future, if electric cars on the road increases this would not only lower our CO2 emissions but also bring improved health.

New research is showing with California on it’s current EV trend and population it would be on track for some of the largest health benefits. With more EV’s and less gas cars the data shows we could have 100,000 California lives saved by 2050. This would be due to less nitrogen oxides and VOCs that can harm our respiratory system.

If you’re not in the market right now to buy an electric car but still looking at ways to reduce your carbon footprint, I put together this list below that shows some simple ways you can help. Like buying local food, recycling, keeping your water heater at 120° or below, carpooling and even LED lightbulbs.

You can find out more about how the Bay Area climate is changing in a series of stories the Microclimate Weather Team worked on across the Bay Area.