Among those choices are what to buy, where to live and how to travel. The choices we make affect not only each of us individually, but society as a whole. Urban sprawl creates dependence on the private automobile and low density development cannot be cost effectively served by transit. Moderation in the demand for fossil fuels will require choosing land use options and transportation initiatives that recognise the overall environmental impact of gasoline powered cars and trucks.
Automobiles are currently the single largest contributor to air pollution.
Increased automobile use around the world will cause motor vehicle emissions to skyrocket over the next 40 to 50 years. This will have a significant impact on global weather patterns and air quality. In Canada vehicle emission standards have reduced emissions from cars. However, the average Canadian car still emits over 4000 kilograms of carbon dioxide, almost 35 kilograms of hydrocarbons and nearly 30 kilograms of nitrogen oxide each year. The operation of a single bus replaces 50 cars, in rush hour and can reduce air pollution by 10 to 25 times.