City bans new gas stations to ‘fight climate change’
The city of Louisville, Colorado last week banned the construction of more gas stations in an effort to “fight climate change”.
Louisville’s city council voted unanimously to cap the number of gas stations at six, which includes the current five stations plus one awaiting approval. The council also ordered that every gas station include a minimum of two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations or enough to equal 20% of the number of gas pumps, whichever is more.
“Gasoline station bans may also be seen as promoting the use of Electric Vehicles (EVs), thus, reducing vehicle emissions and encouraging low-carbon and cleaner energy options for transportation,” the council explained in its ordinance.
According to the Colorado Energy Office, there were 66,599 EVs registered in Colorado as of October 2022. That number breaks down to nearly 12 EVs per 1, 000 people, with 9,198 EVs in Boulder County, where Louisville is located. The city council did not include figures on how many Louisvillians drive EVs.
Electric vehicles are now generally more expensive to drive than gas-powered internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles according to a study published in January. While upfront purchase costs may vary, the study found that ICE vehicle drivers pay on average $11.29 per 100 miles while EV drivers pay around $11.60.
Louisville is only one of several cities around the globe which are implementing restrictions for the sake of “climate change”.
The Welsh government last month said it will be ending road building projects in its effort to reduce carbon emissions. Only road projects which pass rigorous reviews to ensure they won’t lead to more traffic will be considered.
Last November the Oxfordshire County Council decided to divide the city of Oxford into “15-minute neighborhoods” by restricting Oxford residents from driving beyond their own community centers.
The new system will involve six “traffic filters” — busy stretches of road that filter one neighborhood into another. From 7 AM to 7 PM seven days a week, private vehicles that are caught driving past their own neighborhoods for “non-essential needs” will be subject to a £70 fine. Private drivers who wish to travel through the traffic filters may apply for a permit for up to 100 days a year, which averages out to about two days per week. In a household that has multiple vehicles, a maximum of three permits will be allowed.
The cities of Edmonton, Alberta and Cleveland, Ohio seek to implement similar plans.
