TFA is a bit more abstract than you realize, and perhaps that abstraction could mislead the unwary. It is technically correct, but makes a distinction you've missed. If a gremlin cuts the (green) wire between my breaker box and my ground rod, the system is no longer "grounded to Earth", so it wouldn't handle lightning strikes well. However, the "EGC" in every house circuit is still bonded to neutral at the box, so breakers will still trip when the wire inside my clothes dryer rubs against the metal body. That is the function of the EGC. The EGC itself does nothing to protect against transient earth potentials like lightning strikes. That is the job of the grounding rod etc. Just because both wires are green, doesn't mean they're doing the same thing.