The problem is that there is a kernel of truth in the bullshit. EV manufacturers do create a lot of hazardous waste, and mining lithium, cobalt, et al does horrifying damage to the earth and the people who live there. We should be talking about that, and how to improve it.

That’s not an argument against EVs, though. It’s a reason to improve them, to iterate on the design. These are important conversations to have.

But on one side, you have the capitalist who makes money if you buy a car that runs on gasoline. They want to use any criticism of electric transportation, public infrastructure, or regulations and turn it into a staunch defense of the status quo or worse.

And on the other side, you have the capitalist who makes money if you buy an electric vehicle. They want to dismiss any criticism of their technology, the required infrastructure, or regulatory capture as the death throes of the fossil fuel industry.

Those are the sides. Those are the loudest voices. They stand just behind any scientific research and shout their bullshit as though it was fully supported by whatever flimsy preliminary result they can pay to produce.

Too often, it’s the same capitalist. They profit from the chaos and confusion. They count on you giving up and moving on, because they make the most money when exhaustion and demagogeury prevents any meaningful debate. They shout because they know their arguments are bullshit, and they win because they pay for the process we use to select our leaders.