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Recently, there have been and more people walking, riding bikes, and carpooling with friends to get to the places they need to be. Because of the fact that people are doing this, the amout of smog in the air has reduced, people are less strsssed, and the enviroment will be a healthier place and create healthier lives. If this continues to happen and more people become involved, it will make live better for everyone and we will live on a much healthier planet. Plus, the price of gas will go down, and who doesn't want that? These ideas that Paris, France and Bogota, Colombia created to have a car-free day(s) are brilliant and extremely helpful to all.

In Paris, France, a short driving ban occured due to massive air pollution. For two days, certain people were not allowed to drive on the roads to help reduce the about of smog. On Monday, only drivers who owned a vehicle with an odd-numbered license plate were allowed on the roads and on Tuesday, those rules were switched. Anyone who did not obey this rule was fined 22 euros ($31). This was a brilliant plan because the amount of smog in Paris was reduced by 60% after five consecutive days of it being quite strong. In France, diesel fuel makes up about 67% of automobiles, so this is what was blamed. The 67% is a high percent compared to the rest of Western Europe which averages at about 53.3%. Reuters, which is an international news agency that has its main headquarters in london, found that Paris has an unusually large amoun of smog compared to the rest of the European capitals. While Brussels had 114 micrograms of particulate matter (PM) and Londion had 79.7, Paris had the absurd number of 147. In Bogota, Columbia, their annual car-free day was created to decrease the smog and to promote other transportation options. The violators of this day had to pay a $25 fine. A businessman in Bogota responds with his opinion on this day with, "It's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution."

About 57% of families who currently live in Vauban, Germany sold their car to move there. Currently about 70% of families there don't even own a car. According to Heidrum Walter who is a mother of two children as well as a media trainer, she is much happier without a car because when she had one, she always used to be so tense. Being outdoors is so refreshing, so why not do it more often? For the past two decades, there have been efforts to make cities better for walking and other alternative transportation as opposed to cars. Vauban is known as benig the "most advanced experiment in low-car suburban life"(Elisabeth Rosenthal). There is where the movement called "smart planning" was created. About 5,500 people live within one rectangular square mile, and this is in attempt to make the suburbs "more compact" and easier to use public and alternative transportation. Because of this, there is also less parking around the city and stores are placed on a main street instead of inside a mall that could be miles and miles away from residential areas. Also, parks and sports centers are used more freuently and those uneven sidewalks were replaced with smooth ones for walking, riding a bike, etc. Now there is no more road rage and yelling at those drivers who can't hear you from two lanes away.

The amount of people between the ages of 16-39 have become less interested in getting their license, or it just isn't a priority for them. The older generations nowadays have been know to kee their licenses and continue heir driving. If the decrease of driver's licenses continues, there will be multiple benefits for the environment and for carbon emissions. Automobile transportation is the second greatest source of America's carbon emmisions. The only factor that is ahead of this is power plants. Most people who live in the suburbs have a car, becuase they believe that this is the only way to get around. There are, in fact, lots of other options, and this is only harming our environment because the cars that most people own are held accountable for 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. In the United States, however. it is about four times worse. In the areas of the United States where there are a high number of cars, they are responsible for 50% of greenhouse gas emissions. If these percentages can be reduced by using other versions of transprtation besides cars, our world will be a much healthier place and it will live to be a lot longer.

The United States should definetly start having an annual car-free day not only to reduce pllution, but to promote exersice and the outdoors. How fantastic would it be to see more and more people riding their bikes to a park or to a friend's house? If you need to get somewhere, you might as well enjoy your ride by getting some fresh air and some exersice. A reduced amount of time would be spend on the roads because there is less traffic, and that causes less accidents and people will feel much safer. Alternative transportation would also create happier and stress-free lives; who doesn't want that? There are plenty more positive effects on the topic of less cars then there are negative ones, so why not begin this "smart planning"?

Score: 5