This is whataboutism - just because Ireland hasn't solved all of its problems doesn't mean they shouldnt get credit for doing the right thing in other areas.
Exactly. If this was a story about solar or wind it would be about how electricity generation does not include transport! We need to do lots of things all at once.
Because it ignores the relative amount of carbon produced by each approach. With electricity it’s fairly easy to have a true understanding, which takes summing from each source not just listing the worst offenders.
However, Oil is expensive in part from the vast amount of energy used for exploration, extraction, refining, and transportation. Just looking at carbon produced when burning gas is a vast underestimate of it’s true impact.
Even in Ireland going fully electric would significantly reduce their carbon footprint.
Claiming hypicrosy for something not directly related to the subject is the definition of whataboutism.
> I wonder how many electric car owners give any thought to the source of their electricity?
Valid question, and I don't know. Given that Ireland announced thr ban from 2030, and the average age of a car on the road in Ireland is about 8 years, they have 15-20 years before the average car is electric there - plenty of time to wean off the nasty inefficient sources. Having the population on electric vehicles means that clean power generation will have an even stronger impact on the world.