One of the core problems with environmentalists, intelligent people and anyone left wing really is that we insist on doing nothing until we have a perfect solution. Instead of trading climate change for a lithium shortage, we will fail to push these cars because there might be some imperfection for someone somewhere someday. And a massive serious issue is better than a tiny possible future issue we didn't foresee.
Hence the world is run by stupid, selfish, shorttermists who "just do it".
Its pointless to make everything a political topic, with you being the righteous one and everybody else wrong (or worse). Ie am neither on any scale, agree with some aspects of each and reject some other stuff, its easier not being in US where society seems extremely polarized and the other group is always to blame for all one's misfortunes.
EVs generally currently don't make that much sense, we just fuck up environment in a different way. Maybe you don't see those open pit mines in 3rd world, child slaving for that cobalt in your batteries but I do and I do mind. This isn't some potential issue in far future, but right here right now. Any tesla is running a bit on child labor, now everybody can please get off their high horses for a while? EVs being charged by electricity from coal power plants - sure its transitory, so lets start having a discussion when its about to stop being so.
What is an actual solution is very good and cheap public transport. Some less smart part of population in less developed places like US get knee jerk reaction to even suggesting it, but simple fact is - as long as everybody will want to drive in their own ever more massive block of metal and chemistry, we will have numerous issues and will keep shooting ourselves in our own feet long term. No EV is going to fix that, not this century.
I don't think anyone on the right wing cares at all either way. So even if it's only a small part of the left wing, it's composed on 100% left wingers...
Anecdotally, the only people in my larger circle of family & friends who bring up cobalt mining are the right wingers. You are probably right that they don't actually care, though. It's concern trolling.
I’ll take the troll bait, if that’s true then why are “left wing” people the main driver of EVs? Criticizing a technology is one thing. Willing to adopt it is another.
Hence the world is run by stupid, selfish, shorttermists who "just do it".