Pretty much all working adults and teenagers own or drive a vehicle on a daily basis. But while all that driving may get you from point A to point B quickly, it is also doing great damage. Constant driving has left cities polluted and covered in smog. People are finally beginning to realize that and have begun making necessary changes in order to prevent this from continuing.

One suburb in Vauban, Germany is a great example of people limiting car use and the positive impact that it has. This upscale community has generally forbidden street parking, driveways, and home garages so that the streets of Vauban are completely car-free. About 70 percent of families in Vauban do not own cars and over 50 percent sold their cars just to move there. Heidrun Walter, a Vauban local and mother of two, is quite pleased with the car ban. "When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way." This ban has drastically reduced greenhouse gas emmisions that come from tailpipes on cars. You may think giving up your car ride to work every morning is a terrible idea, but living with pollution, smog, and gas emmisions that lead to breathing problems sounds even worse.

The driving ban in Paris, France shows just how bad driving all the time can be. Due to the cold nights and warm days in the popular city, the warmer layer of air trapped car emmisions - causing five days of smog. Being that France has a tax policy that favors diesel and in turn makes up over 60 percent of vehicles in France, it was to blame for the intense smog. After days of near-record pollution, the French party banned driving until the smog cleared. People were left with the choice of leaving their cars at home or facing a 22-euro fine. This goes to show you that your daily driving habits have long-lasting effects that should be taken care of sooner rather than later.

For another example of people striving to lower air pollution, look at Bogota - a city in Columbia that bans cars for one day every year on the annual Day Without Cars event. The purpose of this ban is to promote alternative transportation and reduce smog. It's obviously doing well because now two more Columbian cities, Cali and Vallendupar, are joining the event. Even authories from other countries have visitied Bogota to witness the event themselves and were quite enthusiastic. Enrique Riera, mayor of Asunción, Paraguay, said, "These people are generating a revolutionary change [that] is crossing borders" after attending Day Without Cars. More parks and sports centers have opened up and sidewalks are now being replaced with smoother sidealks for people to walk on. Bogota is just one city now realizing the negative impact constant driving has on the town, as well as its people, and taking steps to lower those impacts.

In conclusion, there are many disadvantages to driving all the time. Which means a lot of postive advantages when we stop. Going completely car-free can be difficult - especially if you are in an area without buses or taxis, but you can still limit your driving and reduce greenhouse gas emmisions and pollution. Don't take so many driving trips, car pool with friends, invest in a bike or shop at places closer to you. Limiting your car usage is something everyone can do and will postively affect your environment.