Overheard a city council member in my town say 'we can't afford to go green' during a budget talk.

He was talking about a plan to switch the town fleet to electric vehicles. His point was the upfront cost was too high. But the person next to him said the long term fuel and repair savings would cover it in about eight years. It got me thinking about how we measure cost. Is it just the price tag now, or the total cost over time? What's your take on the 'too expensive' argument for local climate projects?

3 comments

3 Comments

victorb512mo ago

What about the cost of doing nothing?

stellawood2mo ago

I read about a town in Iowa that switched their garbage trucks to electric. They said the fuel savings alone paid for the higher price in six years, not eight. I mean, the math seems pretty clear if you look past the first bill.

henry_palmer2414d ago

Funny you mention Iowa, my last attempt at going electric ended with my neighbor's cat chasing the extension cord. But seriously, the math on those trucks does add up once you stop looking at the first invoice. @victorb51's got a point too - doing nothing's gonna cost you somewhere down the line.