Embodied energy is a geeky, but extremely important concept in determining the environmental impact (or cost) of any and all products.
“Embodied energy is the sum of all the energy required to produce any goods or services…. Embodied energy is an accounting method that aims to find the sum total of the energy necessary for an entire product lifecycle. Determining what constitutes this lifecycle includes assessing the relevance and extent of energy in raw material extraction, transport, manufac
Application of this concept to the dominant mode of transportation in the USA, the car, very quickly leads to the conclusion that cars, and all the infrastructure that supports cars, are environmental poison pills and are far, far more expensive than the showroom price tag.