Cfxtrjtrk

The OP presents a situation wondering if a logical fallacy has been committed.

The following claim is made:

Fossil fuel consumption due to mobile phone usage is similar to that of private transportation, so if you think we should switch to electric/bike to fight climate change, then you should also stop using your mobile.

The claim is denied without argument.

The person making the claim provides evidence by citing a paper which shows that

worldwide, the fossil fuel consumption of all communication networks, including the Internet is estimated to be about half of the fossil fuel consumption for transportation.

The paper's worth is acknowledged:

Now the statement is true, but this is not the original statement: it has been unduly extended to make it true. What's the name of this logical fallacy?

What needs to be done next is to see how much of the fossil fuel consumption in the report was attributed to mobile phone use.

If the report doesn't have that breakdown one can raise a question about the usefulness of that report. If it does, use that particular number to see if mobile phone use is relevant or not.

Raising a logical fallacy in an argument can backfire. Those listening (the audience) may start siding with the other side as a result. Bo Bennett also warns that if one does start pointing out an opponent's fallacies the opponent may start doing the same. That tactic of calling an opponent's argument logically fallacious may be a distraction or red herring which can itself be logically fallacious.

Here is Bennett's description of red herring:

Attempting to redirect the argument to another issue to which the person doing the redirecting can better respond. While it is similar to the avoiding the issue fallacy, the red herring is a deliberate diversion of attention with the intention of trying to abandon the original argument.

The issue at this point in the argument is whether the data in the report can be used to justify whether one should stop using one's mobile if one wants to fight climate change. Is the associated fossil fuel used large enough? That needs to be addressed and the opponent has taken a risk by providing evidence which can be critically examined.

Bennett, B. "Red Herring" https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/150/Red-Herring

This sounds like an example of Moving the Goalposts.

"Let me cite this paper which proves my assertion that fossil-fuel-derived energy for cellphone use is equal to the same kind of energy consumption by cars. Look, see right there where it proves that all communications network traffic, including cellphones, uses half the fossil-fuel-derived power that cars use? Goal achieved."

The opponent changed how success was defined in the middle of the discussion.

Sounds like an appeal to extremes:

https://www.logicallyfallacious.com/tools/lp/Bo/LogicalFallacies/30/Appeal-to-Extremes

"An argument of the form 'if X is true then Y must be true' where Y is the extreme."

Could also be called 'reductio ad absurdum' according to the same page; basically someone continues your argument into the absurd in an attempt to disprove it

It's a straw-man argument because the argument assumes that the only reason that the person making the proposal selected the e-bikes project was the amount of carbon emissions from cars. In reality, there could've been all kinds of considerations that lead to them suggesting that particular project.

You could make a case that this is a slippery slope argument, but I think that that is less of a fit.

It sounds like there is no fallacy. How has the statement been "unduly extended"? A statement was made, and evidence was provided to back it up. That sounds very duly extended.

You have a discussion where the initial assumption being accepted as an axiom is "We should try to reduce climate change by reducing fossil fuel consumption," and the discussion includes "We should convert to electric and/or bikes." This is the point being debated, "We should convert to electric and/or bikes."

Given the statement which is accepted as an axiom by those involved in the discussion (that global warming is bad and we should reduce fossil fuel usage to reduce global warming), "We should convert to electric and/or bikes" (roughly equivalent to saying "We should stop using vehicles which consume fossil fuels") is a fine point. However, "We should stop using wireless communications, as they consume almost as much fossil fuel" is an equally valid point. And, all other things being equal, you might as well accept both or reject both equally.

Therefor, it is perfectly reasonable to insist that the two proposals have the same outcome, that either they are accepted or rejected together as one. There is nothing wrong with this, and there is no fallacy so far. There is no logical necessity to demand that the proposals have the same fate, but there also is no problem with making that demand either; it is neither here nor there.

If you desire to have the two treated differently, then what you must do is provide a reason that they should be treated so. Remember, I said "All other things being equal," so provide some logic showing that they are not equal.

Further debate may well cause the other person you speak of to rely on logical fallacies to support their argument, but merely stating that "If A is roughly equal to B, then we should accept or reject them together" (ie: "Transportation and communication are roughly equal fossil fuel users, therefore we should accept or reject them together") is not a fallacy. Indeed, the onus of burden is on you to suggest why two equal things should be treated differently.

There are plenty of things that the debater you mention could have said which would change the answer, but we cannot assume anything and must go only with what information you have provided. So the answer is "No solution - there is no logical fallacy therefore no name to provide."