http://ecowatch.com/2016/05/05/elon-musk-fossil-fuels/
[links and video in on-line article]
Elon Musk: We Must Revolt Against the Unrelenting Propaganda of the
Fossil Fuel Industry
Lorraine Chow | May 5, 2016 11:18 am
During an interview at the World Energy Innovation Forum (WEIF) at
Tesla’s Fremont, California factory Wednesday, Elon Musk criticized
fossil fuel subsidies as well as the alleged “propaganda” tactics
deployed by Big Oil and Gas to tarnish his companies, including Tesla,
SolarCity and SpaceX.
“The fundamental issue with fossil fuels is … every use of fossil fuels
comes with a subsidy,” Musk said in his talk with forum organizer and
DBL Partners venture capitalist Ira Ehrenpreis.
According to the Tesla CEO, cheap oil and gasoline prices not only
prevent drivers from switching their gas-guzzlers to electric cars, it
also deters the fight against climate change.
Musk explained that the well-funded fossil fuel industry isn’t even
paying for their contribution to environmental destruction.
“It would be like if you could just dump garbage in the street and not
pay for garbage pickup,” he said.
Citing data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Musk lamented
he’s “competing against something that has a $6 trillion per year
subsidy,” and that the low gas prices that subsidies create are
“weakening the economic-forcing function to sustainable transport and
clean energy in general.”
Musk suggested that a carbon tax would help curb Dirty Energy’s
emissions but passage of such a policy would be “hugely politically
difficult” and that politicians usually pick the easier path of
providing subsidies for electric cars, “even though gas cars are getting
a bigger subsidy.”
Although the electric vehicle maker said he was “encouraged by the Paris
talks,” he still thinks that the transition to clean energy and
sustainable transportation isn’t happening quickly enough.
Musk gave an example of how the fossil fuel industry has been feeding
negative stories to the press about his many companies.
As Electrek explained:
The CEO implied that the LA Times article from last year that
misleadingly asserted that Musk’s companies received $4.9 billion in
subsidies originated from the fossil fuel industry.
Musk suggested that the report was planted to counter the IMF study that
found that the fossil fuel industry was receiving the equivalent of ~$5
trillion in subsidy a year. Both reports came out around the same time.
“After the IMF came out with their study showing that fossil fuels are
subsidized to the tune of $6 trillion a year [it’s was actually $5.3
trillion in 2015]–like $6 trillion per year,” Musk said. “Then some
representatives from the oil and gas industry added up all the
incentives that Tesla had received and will receive in the future, which
happens to coincide with the $6 billion figure.”
“We need to appeal to the people–educate people to sort of revolt
against this and to fight the propaganda of the fossil fuel industry
which is unrelenting and enormous,” he concluded.
Earlier in his talk, Musk also predicted that autonomous cars are the
future of transportation.
“It’s going to become common for cars to be autonomous a lot faster than
people think,” Musk said, adding that half of all new cars will have
self-driving technology within seven to 10 years.
“It’ll just be something where it’s odd if it’s not in your car. Like
not having GPS or something like that, but even bigger. It’ll just be
normal,” he said.
The entire interview was captured by Electrek in the video below. Musk’s
discussion about the fossil fuel industry starts around the 18:30 mark.
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