Latest news with #TheBadandTheUgly
Epoch Times
23-05-2025
- Automotive
- Epoch Times
Electric Vehicles: Are They Good, Bad, or Ugly?
Commentary The recently released ' It raises serious concerns that policymakers—in wealthy countries only—are setting 'green' policies that continue to support human-rights atrocities and environmental degradation in poorer, developing countries where the exotic minerals and metals needed for EVs are mined. Some challenges remain with wind and solar power, which can only generate occasional electricity and are unreliable. This issue has drawn federal legislative attention, with the U.S. Senate voting to discuss a resolution to roll back 'Electric Vehicles: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,' directed and narrated by political commentator and author Larry Elder, demonstrates the environmental degradation and human-rights atrocities caused by mining the components needed for EVs, while presenting a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of the vehicles. Planet Earth's Resources Are Limited Elder's documentary educates viewers about how the critical minerals and metals needed to support the much-touted 'energy transition' to EVs, wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries come from unreliable countries such as China, some poorer African nations, and others. Those countries have minimal labor laws and poor environmental controls, so that their production of the critical minerals and metals needed for going 'green' results in serious environmental degradation and dire social consequences. All this, just to support 'clean' electricity in wealthier countries. Related Stories 5/22/2025 2/7/2025 The extraction rates and R/P (reserves to production) ratio for many of the critical minerals and metals needed for going 'green' are alarming, and most of these natural resources are not being replenished. This suggests a worrisome possibility of an unsustainable approach to the current policies of subsidies for 'green' energies. Furthermore, even countries Lithium: In 2024, the world mined about Cobalt: In 2024, the world produced an estimated A The documentary raises concerns about these 'blood minerals,' which come mostly from developing countries—mined at locations in the world that are never inspected or seen by policymakers and EV buyers. The mining and refining to support the demands for EV batteries, wind, and solar involve large quantities of raw materials. The estimated total mass of raw materials mined and processed for an EV battery, including overburden and waste rock, can range from 50,000 to 100,000 pounds, depending on battery size, chemistry, and mining efficiency. Elder's documentary should be viewed by so-called zero-emission policymakers in the few wealthy countries that have disrupted the delivery of continuous and uninterruptible electricity with strict regulations, preferential subsidies, and cancellation of proven baseload sources like coal, nuclear, and natural gas. Those who watch 'Electric Vehicles: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' will learn about the shell game some are using to exploit developing countries to support so-called clean and green electric vehicles, and can evaluate for themselves whether global economies and the environment can sustain EVs to meet transportation needs for all, not just for a select few. ' Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Toronto Sun
27-04-2025
- Automotive
- Toronto Sun
ELDER: Uncovering the 'dirty' truths about electric vehicles
A truck driver refuels his electric vehicle at the first truck charging station in France, in Sommesous, southeast of France, on April 25, 2025. Photo by FRANCOIS NASCIMBENI / AFP via Getty Images Are electric vehicles better for the planet than gasoline-powered vehicles? This is the question we explore in my new documentary, Electric Vehicles — The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Whether one agrees with former president Joe Biden, who calls climate change 'an existential threat,' or whether one agrees with the late physicist Freeman Dyson, who dismissed Al Gore and his An Inconvenient Truth as 'lousy science,' this question remains. Are electric vehicles better for planet Earth than 'gas guzzlers?' After all, fossil-fuel-generated energy is required to manufacture an electric vehicle and transport it to the dealership. The electricity required to charge it comes mostly from fossil-fuel-generated power. Electric vehicles are a triumph of technology, with incredible features. They are quiet, fast and fun to drive. The self-driving feature, while not foolproof, will likely save lives because human driving errors are more common. (There are some gas-powered cars with a similar feature.) There are concerns about the driving range, as well as the availability of charging stations for long drives. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Right now, an EV compared to a gas-powered car of similar size may be more expensive. There are still tax incentives available, but they may be reduced, if not phased out at some point. With the more expensive purchase price, mandates to buy an EV or to restrict the sale of gas cars stand to hurt those less well-off. Then there is the China factor. The computer chips required for the EV disproportionately come from China. The minerals in the batteries — lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese — are mined, processed and manufactured in China, or in places under China's control, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Take cobalt in the Congo. Two years ago, NPR wrote 'How 'modern-day slavery' in the Congo powers the rechargeable battery economy.' It featured the work of Siddharth Kara, author of the book Cobalt Red. Kara said: 'People (including children) are working in subhuman, grinding, degrading conditions. They use pickaxes, shovels, stretches of rebar to hack and scrounge at the earth in trenches and pits and tunnels to gather cobalt and feed it up the formal supply chain. … Cobalt is toxic to touch and breathe — and there are hundreds of thousands of poor Congolese (workers) touching and breathing it day in and day out. Young mothers with babies strapped to their backs, all breathing in this toxic cobalt dust. … There's complete cross-contamination between industrial excavator-derived cobalt and cobalt dug by women and children with their bare hands (for $1 or $2 a day).' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for reviews about Electric Vehicles — The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Paul Bond, veteran journalist formerly of Newsweek' and The Hollywood Reporter , wrote: 'Larry Elder's latest documentary … begins with … provocative claims: EVs might harm the planet more than gas-powered cars, they rely on child labor and open the door to privacy invasions and hacking. … Whether you're waving a Trump flag or preaching clean living, Elder's film demands a second look at the EV craze. It's not just about cars — it's about who controls your life, your data, and your future.' Tyler O'Neil of The Daily Signal wrote: 'While environmental activists and EV manufacturers have crafted a narrative that EVs are not just the cars of the future but our only clean solution to an ostensible climate crisis, Elder uncovers the dirty truth: EVs require more energy to produce, provide less freedom for drivers, empower America's chief rival in the world, and actually make things worse for the environment.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Mass delusion has always fascinated me,' Elder says in the film. 'Scientists, media people, politicians, academics have convinced the average person that our climate is in peril and if we don't do something real fast to get us off fossil fuels, we're going to be in trouble. I just, intuitively, am skeptical about that.' O'Neil wrote: 'He asks the hard questions and comes away with unsettling answers — for the proponents of EVs. Ironically, only the oft-demonized fossil fuels give viewers a sense of hope for the future, and many political and ideological forces are attempting to snuff out the lights powered by the internal combustion engine.' Electric Vehicles — The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is available on Columnists Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Canada
Daily Record
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
If you only see one Western in your lifetime make sure it's this one
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, starring Clint Eastwood, has been hailed as the best Western movie ever made and fans are now saying that if you only watch one film in this genre, make sure it's this one Clint Eastwood's Western movie is being hailed by fans as the "best ever made", with many advising that if you're to watch just one film in this genre, it should be this one. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, a classic Italian Spaghetti Western, was released back in 1966. It features Clint Eastwood as 'the good', Lee Van Cleef as 'the bad' and Eli Wallach as 'the ugly'. Set amidst the American Civil War in 1862, the plot revolves around Joe, portrayed by Eastwood, a mysterious stranger, and Tuco, enacted by Wallach, a Mexican outlaw. A complex partnership forms between the two after Joe hands over Tuco to claim a reward, only to rescue him right before his execution. They team up in a race against a terrifying criminal and the entire Union army to locate a massive cash prize buried in the desert by a soldier. Despite being a box office hit, plans for a sequel never materialised. Critics initially gave the film a cold shoulder due to the general disdain for Spaghetti Westerns at the time, reports the Mirror US. Reviews were mixed, but that didn't stop fans from thronging to cinemas to catch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Over time, however, the movie has become a classic of its genre, earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly now consistently ranks among the top 100 best films ever made. The film boasts a near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a film review website. Critics praised the film, saying, "If you only see one spaghetti Western in your lifetime, this is the one to see." Other critics added: "There are two kinds of people, my friend. Those who love Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and those who resist the machismo and gallows humor of what is arguably the definitive spaghetti western." Critics also said: "The defining spaghetti western pits a charismatic Clint Eastwood against partner and nemesis Eli Wallach and perpetual enemy Lee Van Cleef." Fans of the film have been equally enthusiastic in their praise. One wrote: "Probably the most well known spaghetti western movie of all time with many memorable lines, cinematography and soundtrack. And it has the most iconic ending of all time. Also Clint Eastwood makes one hell of a cool cowboy with his own signature looks and smooth and steady strut." Additionally, fans praised the film's dialogue, saying: "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk!" This line alone represents everything this movie stands for and i'm all for it. Master Leone's vision of the American West comes full circle in this powerful epic that delivers everything you could ask from a masterpiece: amazing performances; stellar direction and cinematography; great action; marvelous production design; a intelligent story; and last but far from least: the singlest most powerful soundtrack to ever be conceived. Another fan praised the film, saying: "The best Western with maybe my number one director Sergio Leone. And Clint Eastwood who belongs to my top 10 list of actors and directors. What amazing career Clint Eastwood has. I think if I gather all the movies of Clint Eastwood together and calculate the stars that I give them, he probably be my number 1 actor!". Fans can now watch 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly' as it's available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Irish Daily Mirror
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Fans told 'if you only see one movie make sure it's this one'
Clint Eastwood's Western movie is being hailed by fans as the "best ever made", with many urging that if you're to watch just one film in this genre, it should be this one. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, released in 1966, is an iconic Italian Spaghetti Western. It features Clint Eastwood as 'the good', Lee Van Cleef as 'the bad' and Eli Wallach as 'the ugly'. Set amidst the American Civil War in 1862, the plot revolves around Joe, portrayed by Eastwood, a mysterious stranger, and Tuco, enacted by Wallach, a Mexican outlaw. The duo forms an uneasy alliance after Joe hands over Tuco to claim a reward but rescues him just before his execution. They team up in a race against a ruthless criminal and the entire Union army to locate a massive cash prize buried in the desert by a soldier. Despite being a box office hit, plans for a sequel never materialised. Critics initially gave mixed reviews, largely due to the prevailing disdain for Spaghetti Westerns, reports the Mirror US. However, this didn't stop fans from thronging cinemas to catch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Over time, the movie has evolved into a classic of its genre, earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly now consistently ranks among the top 100 best films ever made. The film has garnered an impressive near-perfect rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics praising its iconic status. One reviewer noted: "If you only see one spaghetti Western in your lifetime, this is the one to see." Another critic observed: "There are two kinds of people, my friend. Those who love Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) and those who resist the machismo and gallows humor of what is arguably the definitive spaghetti western." A third critic added: "The defining spaghetti western pits a charismatic Clint Eastwood against partner and nemesis Eli Wallach and perpetual enemy Lee Van Cleef." Fans are also enamored with the movie, with one writing: "Probably the most well known spaghetti western movie of all time with many memorable lines, cinematography and soundtrack. And it has the most iconic ending of all time. Also Clint Eastwood makes one hell of a cool cowboy with his own signature looks and smooth and steady strut." Another fan said: ""When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk! "This line alone represents everything this movie stands for and i'm all for it. Master Leone's vision of the American West comes full circle in this powerful epic that delivers everything you could ask from a masterpiece: amazing performances; stellar direction and cinematography; great action; marvelous production design; a intelligent story; and last but far from least: the singlest most powerful soundtrack to ever be conceived." Another fan added: "The best Western with maybe my number one director Sergio Leone. And Clint Eastwood who belongs to my top 10 list of actors and directors. What amazing career Clint Eastwood has. I think if I gather all the movies of Clint Eastwood together and calculate the stars that I give them, he probably be my number 1 actor!". You can now catch The Good, The Bad and The Ugly on Amazon Prime.
