In order to dramatically reduce greenhouse gases, a new fad is being introduced all over the world. The fad is ways to make the world more "car-free" or "car-reduced". This may sound shocking and to complicated to implement, but believe it or not, there are communites and cities that are already showing improventment with decresasing greenhouse gases that cars let off.

Vauban, Germany, is an upscale, fully functional expirimental German suburb on the outskirts of Freiburg, without cars. Street parking, driveways and home garages are not found in Vauban, the main form of transportation is a public tram that runs to downtown Freiburg. Heidrun Walter is a media trainer who lives in Vauban with her two kids, Mrs. Walter states, " I am much happier this way". Completed in 2006, Vauban is a an example of a growing European and United States trend that separates auto useage from suburban life. Everything that the 5,500 residents of Vauban could need is walking distance away, the community is built in a rectangular square mile with all of the stores on a main street.

Greenhouse gases from Europe contribute to 12 percent of all emmissions, the United States is responsible for as much as 50 percent of these emmissions. To most people, these numbers would be meaning-less, but to the people of Paris, these number clearly showed with their smog covered streets. Paris hit a near-record pollution rate which caused the partial driving ban to take place. The partical driving ban in Paris was as follows; on Monday, motorists with even-numbered license plates were ordered to not use their cars, or be forced to pay a fine, on Tuesday, the same instructions were put in place for odd-numbered plates, this ban continued throughout the week. While this did outrage some drivers, public transit was free of charge from Monday through Friday which did help drivers who were restricted.

A national "Day without cars" was Bogota, Columbia's way to incorperate car limitations. Millions of Columbian participants found alternative ways to get to and from work. Bogota has a total of 7 million citizens who were promoted to use alternative transportation and reduce smog. Despite gray clouds and random spurts of rain, Mayor or Bogota, Antanas Mockus said, " The rain hasn't stopped people from participating." For a first time, during the previous national, "Day without cars" two other Columbian cities, Cali and Valledupar joined the event. "These people are generating a revolutionary change, and this is crossing borders," said Enrique Rera, the mayor of Asunción, Paraguay. Along with the "Day without cars," Columbia has also put out rush-hour restrictions, smoothed sidewalks, and cropped new resturants and upscale shopping districts.

All three cities have showed creative and functional ways to cut back on using cars, weather it be offering new ways to have a less complicated life in Vauban, Germany, limiting the number of cars that can drive on certain day in Paris, France, or creating a national holiday which encourages people to find alternative ways of transportation like in Bogoata, Columbia. It is clear that people in places everywhere are ready to make a change to cut down on greenhouse gases. The United States, as a whole has shown cutbacks on the number of vehicles and licenses being issued, in fact the amount of young people driving decreased by 23 percent from 2001 and 2009. Ultimately, the goal for the entire world is to conserve resources, lower emission rates of harmful greenhouse gases and improve safety, with the rate that cities and communities are going now, this goal without a doubt reachable.