Car Emissions and Global Warming Essay Sample

Vehicles have almost become a necessity in society but come with a great expense. Vehicles contribute to a huge amount of pollution across the globe but also nationally and even here locally. Nowadays, there seems to be an answer though of what people can actually do to help, even just a little bit. The many problems associated with vehicular pollution can be greatly reduced by very simple changes through driver vigilance in order to create a greener earth.

With rising prices around the globe increasing, being efficient is the wave of the future. People are wanting to travel more than ever since Covid-19 has subsided, this means the number of emissions is on the incline because of the number of vehicles on the road. “The large majority of today's cars and trucks travel by using internal combustion engines that burn gasoline or other fossil fuels,” which means when adding more people wanting to travel and dividing by the amount of polluting vehicles, it equals a negative effect on the environment (UCSUSA). With “nearly one-fith of all US emissions,”caused by vehicles, the earth is becoming less green (UCSUSA). Big cities have the worst of it though, with a large concentration of vehicles. “The number of motor vehicles is high and as such, there is a congestion of traffic,” Which equates to more and more wasted fuel without moving in standstill traffic (Conserve-Energy-Future). Lawn mowers, ATVs , and golf carts, just to name a few that run on gasoline can also be found in most areas, these tools and toys add up to the pollution in the environment even with the little combustion engines they have. But, is there a solution to it all?

Well, cutting down on travel that uses fossil fuels won't be easy, but it’s possible. People have been thinking about a solution since the 1890’s when “the first prototype,” electric cars were created (How Stuff Works). Obviously the design has changed over the years, but they still have the same basic principle to save the Earth. Nowadays with the high fuel prices it just makes sense to “Drive the most efficient vehicle that meets your needs,” which means these zero emission cars, like Teslas, are not only saving money for the owners but also helping out the environment for everyone here on Earth (EPA.gov). Vehicles that aren't driven on roads like lawn mowers, atv, and golf carts are starting to become more abundant in electric options. “Using efficient lawn and gardening equipment,” may seem silly but think about all the grass across the world and how people mow it, they use a traditional gas powered lawn mower (EPA.gov). By everyone switching to electric, which can be found locally at a Home Depot or equivalent, which would ultimately end up equating to more than people would think. What negative effects does it really have on the environment though?

Right now, Earth is becoming a giant greenhouse gas collector, meaning that it just keeps becoming more polluted. The “cars and trucks emit carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses,” which are responsible for thousands of deaths each year (Sciencing). “Approximately 5,000 people die every year,” which is A LOT considering that's almost double the population of the city of Hamilton (Sciencing). Obviously other things contribute to creating those gasses that cause “lung cancers and heart attacks,” but vehicles are responsible for around “one-third of all U.S. air pollution”(Sciencing). In the grand scheme of things, Earth is also heating up too, around a 1/10 of a degree per year. Scientists say that vehicles are responsible for “one-fifth of the United States total global warming pollution,” (Sciencing). Just talking about the problems mentioned here won't fix themselves, realizing the problem and doing something about it is also a solution.

Let's talk about the future of the planet; how are the generations to come supposed to survive if there is an ongoing problem around the world that one's doing anything to fix? Well, using the “EPA’s fuel economy and environment label to compare vehicles,” is one way to help (EPA.gov). This means the buyer can not only save the earth, but money too. With a more efficient vehicle, or tool, that's used on a day-to-day basis that little amounts of people think they are helping actually equates to a giant overall improvement. Another helpful way of understanding pollution is  to reduce the number of idling vehicles. It's a fact that “an idling vehicle gets zero miles to the gallon,” because they are not moving (Ecology). These “vehicle exhaust fumes,” are a silent killer, and with just typical people taking initiative deaths will be reduced among the most polluted areas across the globe (Conserve-Energy Future).

Everything comes down to the owner and operator of the vehicle in order for everyone to have a greener earth to live on. By people keeping that bug in the back of their minds about the pollution around the world, maybe one day the air can be as pure as it was when the Earth was first formed.