The four passages provided explain that less and less people are buying cars and obtaining licences because of the multiple advantages it provides such as reduced polution, reduced stress, and reduced trafic.

All, four passages mention that an up side of limiting car usage would reduce pollution around the world.  In paragraph five it mentions that "passenger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in europe... and up to 50 percent in some car intensive areas in the united states."  By reducing the amount of cars driven in these areas we could reduce the amount of polution.  Due to large amounts of smog created by polution in France, banning was put on drivers with even license plates for one day. This is shown in paragraph 19, "The smog cleared enough Monday for the ruling French party to recind the ban for odd-numbered plates on Tuesday." This shows how much can change in just one car-free day.

Not driving cars can also reduce stress. The families in Vauban, Germany experience less stress when not driving and instead walk or ride a bike. Heidrun Walter, a media trainer and mother of two stated in paragraph three, "'When I had a car I was always tense. I'm much happier this way.'" Even though this is just one oppinion, it is safe to say that the other residents in the community are feeling the same way. In Bogota, Columbia a car-free day has been that has been held annually for three years has a businessman named Carlos Arturo Plaza saying in paragraph 24 "'It's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution.'" Not driving cars obviously is a way of lowering stress.

Finnaly, not driving can reduce traffic in heavly populated areas. In paragraph 14 it shows how not driving can reduce traffic, "Congestion was down 60 percent in the capital of France, after five days of intensifying smog." In just five days traffic was down 60 percent! Imagine what a few car-free weeks or months could do. Again back to Bogota, Columbia, paragraph 20 states "...Millions of Columbians hiked, biked, skated or took busses to work during a car-free day yesterday, leaving the streets of this capital city eerily devoid of traffic jams." This shows that car-free days can even be done in large cities.

In the end, even though life without cars would be difficult there are many more pros than cons to living without cars.  The pros being less polution, less stress, and less traffic.