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Calahan Heidt

Mrs.DeBock

English 4 Honors

February 23, 2017

Essential Question: How can drivers save money and emit less pollution while driving?

Working Thesis Statement: Gasoline and diesel cars are costly to power and emit pollutants that

negatively affect the environment.

Refined Thesis: Motorists should switch from driving fossil fuel powered cars to driving

electrically powered cars in order to save money and eliminate traffic pollution.

Annotated Bibliography

Auto ID. Auto Repair Reference Center , HCS Smart Search, Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

This reference provided by HCS smart search provides me with an in depth look at the

inner workings of an internal combustion engine. Although these engines are ones used in gas

powered cars, the cars opposing electric cars, it is still imperative for me to understand how these

machines operate in order to carry out a successful argument against them in my research essay. I

will use this source to prove the environmentally conscious shortcomings of the internal

combustion engine.

"Driving an Electric Car Reduces Carbon Emissions and Fuel Costs." What Is the Impact of

reen

Practices?, edited by Tamara Thompson, Greenhaven Press, 2016. At Issue. Opposing

Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 21 Feb. 2017. Originally published as "State of Charge:

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Electric Vehicles Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings Across the United

States," ucsusa.org, June 2012.

This article written by Tamara Thompson covers a vast majority of issues concerning

hybrid and electric cars. She mentions the initial economic cost of purchasing an electric car then

goes on the state the future economic cost of driving an electric car compared to gasoline

powered cars. She then explains the environmental benefits of electrically powered cars. In this

article Thompson also mentions key findings regarding electric cars that are directed to gasoline

car drivers who are looking to make the switch to electric cars. I chose this article because it

goes into great depth and detail on the economic and environmental benefits of electric and

hybrid cars.

Kaplan, Siena, et al. "Plug-in Electric Vehicles Will Reduce Air Pollution." Pollution, edited by

Louise I. Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2011. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints

in Context, Accessed 22 Feb. 2017. Originally published as, "Charging Ahead: Curbing

Oil Consumption with Plug-in Cars," Environment Maryland Research and Policy

Center, 2010, pp. 7-14.

In the article Plug-in Electric Vehicles Will Reduce Air Pollution Kaplan mainly

focuses on the power plants that produce the energy that is used in electric cars. Kaplan feels that

electric cars cannot reach their full, environmentally safe, potential if their fuel comes from a non

environmentally safe source. In Kaplans article she also provides the reader with data,

percentages, and averages of air quality and energy usage of electric cars and electrical power

plants. I chose the article because the author provided a immense amount of information while
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also providing unbiased knowledge.

Kliesch, James. "Why Electric Cars Are Cleaner." Hybrid and Electric Cars, edited by Louise I.

Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2015. At Issue. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 21

Feb. 2017. Originally published in Mother Earth News, vol. 58, 2011.

Klieschs article focuses on the environmental aspect of electric cars. In the article he

uses facts and statistics relating to the fuel usage of electric cars versus the fuel usage of gasoline

powered cars. Kliesh also explains the environmental consequences of driving gasoline powered

cars by giving an in depth explanation on how gasoline cars work. Likewise , Kliesh goes into

detail explaining where the source of an electric cars power. I chose to use this source because it

provides an inside look at the inner working of both electric and gasoline powered cars, making

it easy for me to compare and contrast them.

Kliesch, James. "Electric Vehicles Are Worthwhile Alternatives to Fossil-Fuel Vehicles."

Renewable Energy, edited by David M. Haugen and Susan Musser, Greenhaven Press,

2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 22 Feb. 2017.

Originally published as "Why Electric Cars Are Cleaner," Mother Earth News, vol. 244,

Feb.-Mar. 2011, pp. 58-64.

In his second article Kliesh continues his belief that electric cars are better for the

environment by investigating how the electricity that powers electric cars is produced and to

what extent do the tailpipe carbon monoxide levels of a gasoline cars engine outweigh that of the

carbon powered electrical plants that power electric cars across the nation. In his article Kliesh

answers questions provided from his rivals as well as believers of his claims. I choose to use this
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second article by Kliesh as a source for my research paper because although Kliesh has an

opinion on the topic of electric cars he uses unbiased facts to explain his reasoning.

"Living on Earth: Back to the Future with Electric Cars." Living on Earth, 11 Nov. 2011.

Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Accessed 22 Feb. 2017

In this audio file Motavalli and Gellerman discuss the past, present, and future of electric

cars. They start with talking about the inception of electric cars and how they came to be

dominated by the gas automobile industry. As the conversation progresses they continue to talk

about the sales of electric cars such as the Chevy Volt and Tesla Roadster. They go on to

converse on the topic of the future of electric cars such as adding solar panels to at home

charging stations. I choose to use this source for its real world information on driving electric

cars and its multiple examples of popular electric cars.