After World War II cars began to become more and more popular, and ever since then they (cars) have done more harm than good, air polution, traffic and just harming health are a few things cars have harmed citizens with. Many cities are doing things to help cut down the "smog" in their area by creating driving bans for a day or even a week (Paris bans driving due to smog 10 PBDS). It starts with one and grows into something much larger, and hopefully that shows in this situation. This essay is going to go into detail on why it is needed to cut back on car usage and maybe one day cars will not be needed.

People began pointing the finger at diesels for the air polution in France after it was made obvious that they make up 67% of the vehicles in this area, compared to around 50% in the other parts of Western Europe (PBDS 16). Greenhouse gasses are harming our atmosphere by trapping the warm air in. If the habits of this generation continue than Earth will not be here much longer. A very popular vehicle, passenger cars, make up to 50% of the greenhouse gasses in some of the busy areas in the US. People are all about convieniency, and cars do much of that; instead of riding a bike for 30 minutes we can drive there in five without breaking a sweat. But it is time to break those running shoes out because our planet is dying. If everyone realized the reality behind greenhouse gassesand the polution we are putting into the air, we would not be in this situation.

In Paris they needed to cut back on the polution, so they took action by having a day where motorists with even numbered license plates could drive and the next day, odd-numbers. After almost a week the smog had cleared and everyone was back on the road again. But during this time period it was recorded that the congestion was down 60% in the capital of France alone (PBDS 14). If everyday was like this, traveling to and from places would be easier and less time consuming. Although it was not much it starts with a little and grows to a lot. New York has a new bike program which adds up to much less if you count in the amount of tolls and gas they (motorists) do from day to day (The End of Car Culture 37 ECC). People are begginning to notice the benefits of riding your bike to work rather than driving, you are saving money and the Earth.

Health is important to us and the future. This Earth is running out of clean air between polution and deforistation when will it stop. The chairman for Ford Motor Company is creating a plan in which "pedestirans, bicycles, private cars, commercialand public transportation traffic are woven into a connected network to save time, conserve resources, lower emissions and improve safety" (ECC 43). If all car producers were as aware as Bill Ford they could join together to make this world healthier and cleanier. But will it be enough, but by limiting cars usage all together our atmosphere could grow back to the potential it should be at, not trapping the warm air in.

After Bogota had their car free day, sidewalks were replaced and parks were packed. Almost everyone participated with either hiking, biking, skating or taking the bus. The goal, which they succeeded with was to reduce their smog (Car-free day is spinning into a big hit in Bogota 28). What if all the countries did as so, it could start as a day, and grow into a week, a month, maybe forever. It would help us, our health and the future that has yet to come. After reading this essay it is obvious to why limiting car usage is essential to life. It has grown into something no one could have imagined and now that it is here, when will it be enough.