Few people have any idea about the lifetime energy usage of popular consumer products. 50-75% of the energy and green house gas emissions for many cars occurs during manufacturing. Switching to an EV (for which much of its lifetime energy/GHGs is during manufacturing) may have little benefit to the earth.
When it comes to unplugging your cell phone charger:
Moreover, charging accounts for less than 1% of a phone’s energy needs; the other 99% is required to manufacture the handset and operate data centers and cell towers.
Source: Empty Gestures on Climate Change by Bjørn Lomborg – Project Syndicate
