Today, we live in a world where we depend on our cars in many aspects. If you ask a group of people if they could let go their cars, many of them would negate. As the automobile technology plays a big role in our lives, it still causes a lot of damage to the environment we’re living in. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the possibility of transforming automobiles to be environmentally neutral. In this essay, I will start with a background paragraph where the environmental issues associated with cars will be discussed along with the pros of owning a car. The following paragraphs will trace the various trajectories of automobile design, describe the advances made to overcome design limitations, describe other advances which could make …show more content…
Indeed, cars accommodate for many services that it almost sounds impossible to stop using cars. However, cars have inherently damaged our environment. Cars cause noise in urban environments which could lead to bringing disturbance to work, relaxation and sleep, mental stress; and in severe cases physical problems such as chronic exhaustion, high blood pressure and heart disease. Manufacturing cars requires the usage of non-renewable resources such as metals and petroleum. The process of mining these resources causes damage to the environment and disposing the produced resources also causes damage. Another pollutant to the environment caused by cars is act of washing oil into rivers which affects water purity and marine life. There are still many other damages caused to environment by the use of cars such as ozone depletion, greenhouse gases and polluted air.
Automobile design have evolved in history throughout seven eras beginning by the invention era followed by the innovation era, manufacturing era , capsule era, classic era, integration era and finally the modern era[2]. Cars mainly used steam-powered engines before the first introduction of gas powered internal combustion engine in the Benz car in 1885. In the innovation era around the 1896, automobiles were still considered a symbol of novelty rather than being
With a declining or no use of cars can result in the reduction of pollution quite tremendously. They can by reducing the greenhouse effect. As the author reports in the article, “In German Suburb Life Goes On Without Care” by Elisabeth Rosenthal, “Passenger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe… and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States.” Therefore, with cars being a leading factor of greenhouse gas emissions, reducing their usage would have a positive effect on the environment. After days of near-record pollution,
The first automobile was made useful in France and Germany in the late 1800’s. America’s industry of automobile started in the early 1990’s. Henry ford had a big production that was used everywhere and made America’s production well known in the world. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/11430673/Environmental_Challenges_Facing_the_American_Auto_Industry
American society has been changed by many different creations throughout history, such as telephones, fridges and credit cards. The creation that has affected American society the most is the automobile. The automobile has affected the American society in several ways: first, it has created more jobs. Second, it allowed people to travel to destinations they could not before. Third, it has polluted the environment. Lastly it has changed the urban and rural landscapes. All of these reasons prove that the automobile has altered the American society.
Chapter 6, “The Burden of History: Expectations Past and Imperfect” from Kirsch’s book, The Electric Vehicle and the Burden of History, focuses on the problem of automobiles in the modern day. Kirsch states that internal combustion engines release greenhouse gasses, which harm the environment. Each individual contributes to air pollution
Since the development of the steam engine people had been interested in creating self-powered vehicles, this manifested during the industrial revolution as the train. However, as time went on people became interested in creating a vehicle that wasn’t confined to tracks. The earliest attempts were moderately successful but served little practical purpose. Automobiles first began to truly spread with the invention of the electric motor which created cheaper, more powerful, and safer automobiles. Still the automobile still had numerous problems and were mainly in the hands of the rich. It was the development of the internal combustion engine and the assembly line that was truly able to create a practical vehicle that could be used by all and
“Automobiles have a large impact on the quality of our environment and public health. Automobile use affects virtually every aspect of environmental quality - including noise levels, air quality, water pollution, and urban sprawl. Ninety percent of the environmental impact of automobiles occurs through the operation of the cars: about 10 percent from the production, raw materials and disposal of
Automobiles are arguably one of the most important inventions in the history of the world. Not only have they allowed us to get from point A to point B in a faster fashion than walking but they have also aided us in new inventions that will greatly benefit the world. Before the birth of the automobile, people had few choices of transportation that could actually get them to a specific location of their choosing. Railroads and boats were modes of transportation that were mainly used for travelling long distances, however for the shorter distances people either had to walk or arrive to their destination by way of horse or horse and carriage. These two modes of transportation were the only ways to get to exactly where you were going and not just in a general area or close to where you were going, as would trains and boats. This all changed with the invention of the automobile. The Merriam-Webster’s dictionary defines an automobile as, “a usually four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation” an invention that would not only revolutionize transportation but also the world. The means by which people would get from one place to another would be completely altered by this single invention. Some people will say that the Ford Model T made in 1908 was the first car ever, however those who claim this are terribly mistaken. The first car ever to be built was the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, designed and created in the year 1886 by German inventor, Karl Benz.
Automobiles play a major role in today's society. Almost every American owns at least one motorized transportation vehicle. Some say they make our lives better by reaching places faster than before. Others say they are a harmful to the environment. Have they made our society better or worse? They may be fast, but do we as humans want our environment to suffer because of time. Face it, cars pollute. And they release destructive chemicals into the air. Air pollution can threaten the health of many subjects in the environment including human beings.
The automobile began as a rich man’s toy, and in today’s society almost every single person owns one of these miraculous inventions. After the automobile became more popular, society has evolved around it, creating highways and fast food chains. The automobile has revised from a bare invention, such as the horseless carriage, to now technologically advanced motor vehicles with bluetooth and wireless internet. Since the beginning age of the automobile in 1885, the invention has advanced, prospered, and changed society throughout the world.
It is predicted that these numbers will keep on rising over the coming decades. It doesn’t only affect us but it affects globally and everyone such as wildlife, ocean levels, farming and many more. The effects of car pollution are boundless, affecting water, soil and air quality. Nitrous oxide is one of the main reasons for the depletion of the ozone layer. The ozone layer is the layer which protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. Acid rains are caused because of Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide which are again emitted by cars. These gases not only damages our health but also damages forests, vegetation and crops. The spills of oils and fuel that we see from cars near highways pollutes rivers, lakes and oceans. The one of the biggest reasons for switching to electric cars is that petrol cars not only affects environment but it affects human health too. Diesel motors radiate high levels of gasses, which consists of ash and metal. These causes eye and skin irritation and hypersensitiveness. These small particles of ash and metal can enter our lungs which can lead to respiratory issues. Chest pains and coughing can also be caused by Ozone layer because ozone layer inflames lungs hence it makes it hard to breathe and relax. Carbon monoxide is one of the
The automobile has had a tremendous impact on society and the environment since its development in the beginning of the 20th century. Today, there are over 500 million motor vehicles on the earth. The automobile's efficiency, style, and performance have changed over the years, but there is one thing that has not - the pollution the automobile generates. Because of the pollution, people find themselves asking whether this technology has helped our society or hurt it. Should the consequences of the automobile be cause to eliminate it? Or should science develop technology to eliminate the pollution caused by the car?
The following report outlines the impacts that motor vehicles have on the environment as well as detailed strategies aimed at minimizing these impacts. The conducted research found that the effects of motor vehicles cause significant harm to the environment in various ways. Through the emission of toxic and greenhouse gases as well as the usage and disposal of non-renewable resources, a number of environmental symptoms were occurring:
Automobiles are a major producer of greenhouse gas. One gallon of fuel burned puts five pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Let’s say that an average car gets 25 miles to the gallon, and that car has a ten gallon tank. Every time a car gets filled up with gas, another fifty pounds of carbon dioxide have been put back into the atmosphere, and that is just one car. The automobile industry is very important to the world economy, so I am not saying that we should stop making cars, but there are other solutions. The recent trend of hybrid electric cars that get up to fifty miles to the gallon are becoming more popular. Also public transportation is very important. City dwellers that live downtown, do not need to drive their cars to work. Every major city has a form of public transportation that can get anyone around the city, and for that gallon of gas a bus burns the same five pounds reaches the atmosphere, but instead of one
Introduction Automobile usage has increased in America and elsewhere in the world. In a research done by Sutherland, J., et al. (2004) “The US has a contributed to 200 million passengers in cars and light truck over the past few years. Further in 1990, studies showed that US cars increased six times faster than human population. The leaders in the automotive industry must adopt some key elements to ensure success in this fast-moving environment. They must invest in knowing their markets, building brands, adapting product strategies and taking long-term view on their goals and objectives. This paper outlines some of the key factors which should be considered. Environmental factors automotive designers and engineers have always said the main threats in the American Automotive industry are the environmental factors such as fuel economy and the clean air regulations. Automotive Emission posed different problems than manufacturing discharges such as coal smoke. Increased fossil-fuel emission has resulted from the million car increase. Irritation smog, which is comprised of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, sulfur oxide and other various chemical mixtures are cited in major cities such as Los Angeles. These auto emissions are also said to cause headaches, visual pollutions, contribute to lung cancers and other respiratory disease. In the end, the engineers have designed cars that are better environmental performers, cost effective and fuel efficient to reduce the environmental
Automobiles are destroying everything. Automobiles are cars, trucks, SUVs, and pretty much anything with wheels and a motor that can be used for transportation. The relationship between humans and automobiles is important, but it is becoming a problem because a majority of humans have automobiles. Automobiles are complex machines that are affecting humans in many ways. These complicated machines pollute the air because they emit gases into the air. In most states, when teens turn 16 they are eligible to drive these machines and can create a danger to the public. To keep automobiles running the owner must invest money into gas, engine maintenance, insurance, and more. Automobiles put people in danger, harm the planet, and cost large amounts of money to maintain.