Name: What happens to gas stations when the world goes electric?
Uploaded: 2023-03-21T14:57:18Z
Duration: 8 min 13 s
Description: When the world goes fully electric, what happens to the cars, tools and livelihoods that rely on fossil fuels? Civil engineer and environmental sociologist Emily Grubert visualizes what a clean energy future will look like, outlining the considerations everyone needs to undertake now as the critical, decades-long transition begins.

When the world goes fully electric, what happens to the cars, tools and livelihoods that rely on fossil fuels? Civil engineer and environmental sociologist Emily Grubert visualizes what a clean energy future will look like, outlining the considerations everyone needs to undertake now as the critical, decades-long transition begins.

Civil engineer, environmental sociologist

Replacing fossil fuels means not just building new systems, but also responsibly retiring the infrastructure that drives 80 percent of today’s global energy use. Abrupt transitions can devastate towns, like when 500 coal miners lost their jobs overnight. Ensuring a just, sustainable future requires early and specific plans that center community needs, provide ample warning, and maintain trust through long periods of uncertainty. Planning for both the decline of gas stations and the rise of new energy must be coordinated, people-first, and locally informed.