Authored by Reese Rogers

CTE's mission is to improve the health of our climate and communities. Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels is critical to improving our communities, both from a health and a humanitarian perspective.

Over the past few weeks, those of us at the Center for Transportation and the Environment have watched, shocked and saddened, as the tragic and senseless invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces unfolds. The reports of war and suffering, although they may seem distant from our work on zero-emission vehicles, underscore in many ways the importance and urgency of our work to develop a transportation system free of fossil fuels.

As an industry, we often focus on the environmental and health benefits of decarbonization, but, without a doubt, a zero-emission future has humanitarian benefits as well. Reducing dependence on all fossil fuels-whether foreign or domestic, petroleum or natural gas-is imperative if we seek to reduce the ability of oil-rich authoritarian states to manipulate the geopolitical landscape and human lives.

Not only are many global conflicts driven by tensions over fossil fuel resources, but state actors rich in fossil fuels can feel emboldened to act in reckless and destructive ways, counting on global dependence to lessen any retaliation. Energy, namely fossil fuels, are certainly a part of that equation in Russia's war in Ukraine, and the subsequent results of this calculus- in the form of human suffering and economic impacts-are frightening. To compound the issue, we are now seeing this global system react to massive impact forces as sanctions interrupt these supply lines, in turn spreading hardship to communities far from the front lines.

Yet the United States maintains a continued dependence on fossil fuels to power every sector of our economy and the vast majority of our transportation systems. While the percentage of foreign-produced oil imported by the United States has declined in recent years, the fact remains that this dependency creates a systemic liability and negatively impacts U.S. political and economic autonomy. We are seeing this liability today most visibly at the gas pump, as a result of the necessary economic sanctions on Russia, but the impacts permeate throughout our politics, businesses, and finances.

When viewed in the context of foreign dependence, transitioning to zero-emission vehicles and transportation systems is the obvious solution. Electricity is generated almost entirely domestically, minus a small portion that we import from Canada, and the United States has an immediate opportunity to create a domestic green hydrogen industry from the ground up. We will not be able to wean ourselves off of foreign oil if we maintain a fossil fuel-based economy, and Russia is likely not the last petro-state that could feel emboldened by the protection afforded by its oil wealth. While decarbonization will not solve the world's resource scarcity issues, control over resources like lithium, cobalt, and other electric vehicle raw materials are nothing in scale compared to the influence that petro-states wield. Raw materials for batteries can be recycled and reused unlike fossil fuels, which are consumed upon use and necessitate continued reliance on the lucky few with reserves.

At CTE, we are striving to deploy zero-emission vehicles and clean fueling infrastructure in a number of different transportation sectors to make a zero-emission future a reality. We are energized by increasing focus from industry and new federal programs that support the decarbonization of the transportation system. We are also motivated to do our part to eliminate dependence on fossil fuels and by extension reduce the human tragedy perpetuated by conflicts associated with fossil fuels. We know that our work may not alleviate the suffering of those currently facing devastation and loss, but we hope to contribute toward a future where such senseless destruction is made more difficult through the reduction of such resource inequalities.

To achieve this future, however, much work remains. In the transportation segment alone, many sectors still need significant support to develop commercial solutions and clean fueling pathways for zero-emission vehicles, let alone full fleet deployments. Decarbonization of our transportation system is the smart play, if we wish to provide a stable economy, healthy environment, and healthy population for the future. CTE is grateful to work towards this better future with our members, our policymakers, and our communities.

No to war.