The Scales Are Tipping over: Are Cars a Blessing or a Curse?
Environmentally friendly cars will soon cease to be an option … they will become a necessity.
FUJIO CHO
The Scales Are Tipping Over
Cars are an integral part of society, and life is almost unimaginable without them. Most parents drive to work in them, drop their children to school in them, and even get their groceries home in them! The object of countless boys and girls’ fantasies, cars have been pronounced “modern marvels” by the History Channel [1], and the mass produced car one of the most important inventions of the 20th century [2]. However, this so-called “boon” to society is turning into a “bane” much faster than previously thought. From unbelievable amounts of pollution to huge consumption of resources, the simple car is rapidly growing into one of the deadliest objects for the environment today [3], possibly endangering your children’s future. Karl Benz, the creator of the first car, merely wanted to produce something that would revolutionize society. Little did he know that his invention, unless timely controlled, could destroy the very thing he set out to improve.
Transportation is the single largest cause for pollution in the US, with it producing over half the quantity of carbon monoxide, over one-third the quantity of nitrous oxides and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons produced in the US annually.[4] And the majority of that contamination comes from cars and trucks.[5]
Consider this: There are more than 254.2 million cars and trucks in the US right now. [6] And CO2 emissions from those cars and trucks is about 1 million TONS per day [7]. This much pollution per day is obviously extremely unbeneficial to the environment as well as humans, with an EPA study finding a direct relationship between high levels of fine particles, ozone, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide and an increase in the number of hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases [8] as well as an increase in the size of the ozone hole.[9]
One might say
FUJIO CHO
The Scales Are Tipping Over
Cars are an integral part of society, and life is almost unimaginable without them. Most parents drive to work in them, drop their children to school in them, and even get their groceries home in them! The object of countless boys and girls’ fantasies, cars have been pronounced “modern marvels” by the History Channel [1], and the mass produced car one of the most important inventions of the 20th century [2]. However, this so-called “boon” to society is turning into a “bane” much faster than previously thought. From unbelievable amounts of pollution to huge consumption of resources, the simple car is rapidly growing into one of the deadliest objects for the environment today [3], possibly endangering your children’s future. Karl Benz, the creator of the first car, merely wanted to produce something that would revolutionize society. Little did he know that his invention, unless timely controlled, could destroy the very thing he set out to improve.
Transportation is the single largest cause for pollution in the US, with it producing over half the quantity of carbon monoxide, over one-third the quantity of nitrous oxides and almost a quarter of the hydrocarbons produced in the US annually.[4] And the majority of that contamination comes from cars and trucks.[5]
Consider this: There are more than 254.2 million cars and trucks in the US right now. [6] And CO2 emissions from those cars and trucks is about 1 million TONS per day [7]. This much pollution per day is obviously extremely unbeneficial to the environment as well as humans, with an EPA study finding a direct relationship between high levels of fine particles, ozone, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide and an increase in the number of hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiovascular diseases [8] as well as an increase in the size of the ozone hole.[9]
One might say
References: [3] "Green tax: What makes diesel cars so deadly | Firstpost." 2012. 28 Mar. 2013 [4] "Transportation and Air Quality | US EPA." 27 Mar [7]"Car Pollution Facts - EVsRoll." 2011. 27 Mar. 2013 [8] "Cars and Air Pollution - EPA Victoria." 2005 [9] "Automobiles and Ozone - US Environmental Protection Agency." 28 Mar. 2013 [10]"• Total number of registered U.S [12]"Water Trivia Facts | Drinking Water | US EPA." 2010. 28 Mar. 2013 [13] "How Many Gallons of Water Does it Take to Make Mar. 2013 [15] "Are We Running Out of Oil and Gas? - PetroStrategies, Inc." 2009 [16] "HowStuffWorks "Top 5 Materials Used in Auto Manufacturing"." 2009. 28 Mar. 2013 [17]"Fujio Cho Quotes - Notable Quotes." 2005. 28 Mar. 2013