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In the past, owning a car has been very beneficial and very efficient in order to go about our daily lives. In the past few years, however, people are buying less and less cars and taking the train or bike to get around. All this has been brought up by environmental conditions some countries have had to deal with recently. There are advantages to having a car, but there are more advantages without one.

Driving cars allow people to get from point A to point B in a matter of minutes, but this harms the environment drastically. "Passenger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe... and up to 50 percent in some car-intesive areas in the United States" (Rosenthal, paragraph 5, Source 1). These emissions can cause major damage not just to one location but the whole planet overall."Last week Paris had 147 micrograms of particulate matter (PM) per cubic meter compared with 114 in Brussels and 79.7 in London, Reuters found" (Duffer, Paragraph 17, Source 2). Smog has caused a problem in Paris recently, having more smog than other major Western European cities. "Diesels make up 67 percentof vehicles in France, compared to a 53.3 percent average of diesel engines in the rest of Europe, according to Reuters" (Duffer, paragraph 16, Source 2). Paris and other cities like it are faced with a huge environmental problem. Later on , however, Paris put a plan in to stop all of these emissions. On one day, motorists with even-numbered license plates had to leave their car at home or face a 31$ fine. The next day would be the odd-numbered plates. Congestion went down 60 percent, allowing the French ruling party to cancel the ban of odd-numbered plates on the next day.

With this decreased use of cars, many cities are reforming the suburbs, such as Vauban, Germany. "Vauban's streets are completely 'car-free'..." (Rosenthal, paragraph 2, Source 1). In result to this change, less carbon is being emitted while providing a safe and secure environment for the families that live there. Another city who has made a similar change like Vauban is the city of Bogota in Colombia. "It was the third straight year cars have been banned with only buses and taxis permitted for the Day Without Cars in this capital city of 7 million" (Andrew Selsky, Paragraph 21, Source 3). The goal of this event is to promote alternative transportation and reduce smog. Here in the United States, car sales and the amount of people getting a driver's license has diminished. "...the Internet makes telecommuting possible and allows people to feel more connected without driving to meet friends... Likewise, the rise in cellphones and car-pooling apps has facilitated more flexible commuting arrangements, including shared van services for getting to work" (Elisabeth Rosenthal, Paragraph 35, Source 4). So even though we may not realize it, technology has allowed us to stay connected without having to burn gas and harm the environment while trying to go to your friend's house. These efforts to decrease the use of cars have been a success in the amount of people participating and the beneficial effects to the environment, like Paris and the decreasing amount of smog.

As countries start to realize the amount of cars and emissions they produce, projects have gone in to make city streets more accessible for alternative vehicles. "...stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls along some distant highway" (Elisabeth Rosenthal, Paragraph 6, source 1). This approach forces people to walk or ride a bike instead of driving a car into the city center. "...uneven, pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks...rush-hour restrictions have dramatically cut traffic..." (Andrew Selsky, Paragraph 28, Source 3). In conclusion, there have been many efforts in order to promote alternative ways of transportation into cities .

In conclusion, the advantages of limiting car usage include the decreased emissions of carbon into the atmosphere, the use of alternative transportation through exercise, and the reformation of cities to become safer with easier access to certain shops and venues. As time goes on, awareness of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions increases, and more and more things are done in order to stop the diminishing of our environment.

Score: 3