global warming has been said to be a problem for years now. it has been said that we are slowly but surely destroying our o-zone layers. and air pollution is for sure one of the main causes. Smog levels have risen substancially and it shows, but there are more and more solutions that are begining to show.

germany definitely has the right approach here. they live in what is pretty much a car free society. in a one square mile city of 5500 people, 70% of them do not have cars. everything in that city is within walking or biking distance so there is no need for one. having a society like this is also very stress relieving in a sense. you no longer have the every day stress of being on a highway or constantly alert for cars, a society like this is for the most part more laid back then a regular one. the amount of exercise is also increased here because you are walking or biking everywhere, you are constantly moving. it is something that every country should take into consideration. the long term effects of pollution will be detremental to our world and we know that. now is our time to fix that.

tail pipe emission accounts for 12% of greenhouse gas emissions in europe and up to 50% in dense cities in the United States. and after near record breaking pollution in just a matter of days, paris decided to put a partial ban on driving. by doing this congestion in the city was down 60%, and by doing this the smog cleared relatively quickly. in this short amount of time that driving was partially banned we were able to see a large decrease in not only pollution but the amount of congestion in a city. not only does this make everyday life safer for every day citizens but improves the living quality of all people by making the air and world cleaner. projects like this are showing multiple benefits and great long term affects, not only for car drivers but for pedestrians that are walking the streets to, if congestion in a busy city is down by that much it makes getting around a lot easier for someone who walks/bikes/or runs eveerywhere. i think its crucial for people to understand the upsides to having societies like this. grnated it will be hard to adjust to but the upsides to it will outwiegh the cons in the long run.

a big thing to look at here in one of the benefits of having a car free society like this is not just the pollution but the exercise rate. as americans we are without a doubt an overweight country and thats obvious. what having something like this would do for us is incredible. even if it was a one day thing to try like Bogota, Colombia. once a year everyday they have what is called a "car free day" where everyone in the city is restricted from using cars unless it is a taxi or transit. this now enforces or allows if you will, everyone to ride a bike, skate, run, or walk to their destination. the streets are left practically empty. when you also do this you can bring improvements to your community. Bogota went from a cracked unevenly paved sidewalk to the replacement of smooth broad and even sidewalks. parks and sport centers have increased and blossomed all throughout the city, and you see the community just start to come together as a whole.

Now with all this being said there obviously are still downsides to cutting out gas producing cars. weather being a main one. suppose it rains one day, how do you get to work? not only that but in warmer climates if you have to go a longer distance to get to your job it gets hot and if you are in your suit and tie you're going to be sweating. if you are a blue collar worker, you have equipment that you have to keep on you at all times not having a vehicle will restrict that. not being able to drive will also slow down many buisnesses that travel to someones home such as a lawn service or a plumber. if you work out of town how do you get to your job? people would have to leave their families and move closer to their workplace if they worked out of town or quit their job. there is a lot to take into consideration when you think about all the possibilities of creating a society like this. and the only way this could work is if it was incorporated the same way that it was for Vauban germany. if you had a one square mile society where everything was walking distance and your job was in the area then i believe it would be extremely beneficial, but areas like that are few and far between and making areas like that would change the geography of the entire country.

by no means are we as a country (America) ready to change to this kind of society any time soon, but i do think that in due time we can benefit from this in a huge way. but there is a lot that has to change and our nation as a whole has to be willing to conform to this. there would be a substancial amount of change in this nation if this were to happen and we as a country are not one that necessarily likes change. we like our two car white pickett fence houses and cutting that out of everyones lives would no go over well with the majority of Americans. this is something that the future of America needs to seriously take into consideration. its appearant that we are destroying our world every single day and we are one of the main contributors. this is our chance to help ourselves and the generation to come, but are we willing to conform and put our luxiories aside for the greater good of mankind?