Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Electric Power

How clean is your electric car? In this Earth Day explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian co-host Chuck Nice break down the emissions from generating electricity and how electric vehicles really are cleaner.

Aren’t we burning fossil fuels to get electricity? So are the emissions from your car just transferred elsewhere? We break down coal fire power plants and how much of our power is supplied by fossil fuels. Neil asks, how much does salt cost? We discuss the history of salt as a strategic commodity and how to turn power into salt in the eyes of Americans. How did innovations in food preservations change our view of salt? You’ll learn how this connects to the commodification of oil and how our society is similarly dependent on it for life. Doesn’t a car really just need power? Should we be more or less casual about our electricity usage? What transportation issues do we face with alternative forms of energy? How does our choice to use electricity impact the energy marketplace? All that and more, on another StarTalk explainer!

About the prints that flank Neil in this video:

FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE to StarTalk:

About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

[johnstanson]

“No, but I do bathe with a toaster when things get bad” is an amazing line. 😭

[coin]

'My face becomes a lot smarter when you're in it'

~Chuck Nice, April 2021

[DontEverGrowUp]

In the next episode, perhaps you could cover how batteries are made and the environmental impact from their construction and disposal.

[thirdstratus]

Neil is that teacher that makes science interesting.

[isragashi]

The talent that Neil has between explaining and humor is just AMAZING

[LtNduati]

"I only bathe with a toaster when things get bad" took me out, I love this channel lol

[johndallara]

Neil explains a fundamental issue of strategic commodities well. There is no free lunch, but there are new strategic commodity to replace the old ones. This also glosses over many looming realities.

[danieljonhson]

I was a generator mechanic in the army and from my experience it takes a lot of fuel to make electricity

[nickl]

I'd love (and pay) to see these explaination videos in a much longer format where you dive even deeper. Great work both of you!

[Metalkatt]

Chuck: We'll pay you in pepper!

Me, a history nerd: Well, now you're just being greedy. Have to get rich quick, don't we?

[qpxyzsr]

I alway try to seek the ground truth when questioning an issue and I want to thank Chuck & Neil on not masking the facts in this episode and explaining it in depth. Keepin'it-💯

[pugazhenthi]

Thanks for creating this series of talks, Dr. Tyson and Chuck (sorry if I spelled your name incorrectly 😅). This show is taking science to the public with a good dose of humor.

[honeychurchgipsy]

The answer to "Aren't we burning fossil fuels to get electricity?" is not "yeah" but "sometimes and not necessarily".
In Scotland all electricity is now produced using wind or solar power, and they export energy to us in the rest of the UK - so it can be done folks!!

[Manizzie]

SALT FORGIVE ME!!! I have taken you for granted😩

[brittburton]

Back in the 70’s there were two small power plants running off of water in my small town. My stepfather, he proposed to bring them back into service, they had been abandoned. He determined that they’d produce about 70kw each. He wanted about $80k to get them both back in service, one needed new equipment and such and the other just needed a bit of work. The town turned him down cold. Too expensive. Those two abandoned power plants are still their, the dams they were on, the town has since destroyed.

[Prototype_]

We could mitigate electric carbon emissions if our electricity was generated from nuclear power.

[travis]

You know you live in the north when the question is asked "how much is salt" and instead if table salt your mind goes straight to ice salt

[MarcSylex]

"No, but I bathe with a toaster when things get bad."

That's was quite a dark matter.

[jasonmeadors]

Cannot love this enough for taking the big-picture, science-grounded view over the drill-and-burn mentality. Thank you.

[kenjohnson]

Love it that you brought it up early that electric cars have no emissions at the tailpipe BUT the emissions are at the coal fired electric generator