A Question of Balance

John stood nervously in the dock. The judge peered sternly at him over the rim of his spectacles.

“John Coombes, you are charged with endangering the environment. How do you plead?”

“Not guilty Your Honour.”

The prosecutor arose and prowled over to John like a stalking leopard.

“Mr Coombes, did you purchase an electric car on the 29 September?”

“I did,” John replied.

“Were you aware of the high cost of battery production, the human cost of extracting the essential battery metals Lithium and Cobalt from the ground? Are you aware too that heavier electric cars do more damage to our roads and infrastructure?”

Ashen faced, John could hardly mumble a response before the barrister pointed at him.

“No, I didn’t think so. Your act was totally selfish, the pursuit of lower personal cost with no consideration for the environment.

“No further questions Your Honour.” He sat down with a smug expression.

John’s advocate stood, smiled reassuringly at John and spoke in a measured voice.

“My learned friend makes excellent points.”

”However,” he went on, “my client’s electric car makes zero CO2 emissions unlike fossil fuel equivalents. Consequently, there are significantly less pollutants in the air which are not only a major cause of global warming but also cause large numbers of hospital admissions a year, a drain on our NHS.”

“Lithium extraction and cobalt mining is an issue, particularly in the Congo but scientists are investigating Iron and Silicon as alternatives, both plentiful, affordable and easier to extract.”

The advocate turned to the judge, his voice now strong and assertive.

“That, Your Honour, is my client’s defence. He would like cleaner air for us all and to do his bit to reduce global warming. If we don’t follow his example, there may not be a Congo or even this court room in the future.”

The judge paused and delivered his verdict.

“New technology may bring negative impacts and we must try to understand whether the good will ultimately outweigh the bad; it’s always a question of balance. In this case I find the defendant not guilty, case dismissed.”