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In the modern world, we are almost completely dependent on our technology to get us through the day.  These human creations, such as, cellular phones, the internet, computers, and cars make it easier for us to perform everyday tasks.  But for such heavy use of these items, there are side effects.  Cars in particular can, and will, create lasting issues in our environment, which if not resolved will cause many problems in our future.  But there is hope; if the First World states like the UK, France, Germany, and the U.S. were to cut down on car usage, we would see a drastic decline in not only the air polluting greenhouse gases, but also expenses for families spending all their money at a gas pump.  Furthermore, we would see an increase in other things, such as the amount of exercise and public people would acquire through alternative transportation.

The foremost issue is of course, the environmental effects of cars.  According to the New York times, cars are on average responsible for "12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe . . . and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas".  These emissions can often make cities uninhabitable.  In places such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, and other urban centers; heavy pollution requires citizens to wear gas masks, and acid rain devstates plant life.  This heavy pollution has such an effect that it causes black snow in Russia, thousands of miles away.  But the scale of the problem is much larger than acid rains and black snow; our planet is heating up, and greenhouse gases are to blame.  If you want evidence just look at our neighbor, Venus.  Roughly the size of Earth, scientists believe that Venus once has water, but look at it today, and you will see our solar system's hottest planet.  Several million years ago Venus was overcome by volcanic activity; of much greater extent than anything ever seen on Earth since it's formation in pre-cambrian time.  These volcanos spewed thousands of tons of carbon monoxide into the atmosphere, and thus began the greenhouse effect.  The sun's rays would pierce through the smog and reflect off of the surface of the planet, but when they went back up the smog stopped them and turned them away, back down towards the planet's surface.  This caused the planet to practically absorb all of the energy and heat of the sun.  Before long the surface temperature became hot enough to melt lead, making Venus utterly uninhabitable.  If nothing is done to stop atmospheric pollution, this is our future.

But in our modern world many people would be completely lost without a car, it has become the staple of our infastructure, not unlike the horse from years past.  But there is evidence in the small town of Vauban, Germany; that life without cars is a very possible thing.  The small community of Vauban has forbidden cars within their town, and the results are suprisingly positive.  Of the residents of Vauban, seventy percent do not own cars, and are very happy with their circumstances.  As Heidrun Walter said to the New York Times, "When I had a car I was always tense.  I'm much happier this way."  While other states might not have such successful car free zone's, Colombia has an annual car-free day in their capital of Bogota and surrounding cities.  This day often has millions of Colombians biking, and walking from place to place.  There has also been an improvement in city beautification according to an article by the Seattle Times, "Parks and sports centers also have bloomed throughout the city; uneven pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks . . . and new restaurants and upscale shopping districts have cropped up."  Not only does the restriction of cars help the environment, it can also help the economy.

The average American citizen's budget consists mainly of two things, housing, and vehicles.  But during the recession of 2008, there was a decline of about nine percent in average miles driven.  The burden of gas prices and car payments became too much for many unemployed Americans.  But after the recession passed, the decline continued, and may soon accelerate.  The New York Time states that "Demographic shifts in the driving population suggest that the trend may accelerate.  There has been a large drop in the percentage of 16- to 39-year-olds getting a license, while older people are likely to retain their licenses as they age".  If this trend continues, then we have already taken the first step in curbing our greenhouse gas emissions; and by doing so, we may increase the living standards of our citizens who would have more money.  As well as repurposed government funding in other cleaner and faster forms of transportation due to a lesser need in road construction and maintainance.

Finally, the world we live in today is changing, and with always increasing technology, it may not be long before a clean alternative to gas burning vehicles arises.  But you cannot count on the unknown; and what is known is that should we continue on our current path, the world will be a very hot place by 2040.  Either we must change, or our cars will die with us.

Score: 5