Automobiles are one of the most dramatic and resourceful products of the Industrial Revolution. They help people commute from one place to another, allow for travel time to decrease, and help citizens carry heavy objects from point A to point B. Only, did we think about the negative effect it could have on our enviornment? Forests are cut down to build highways, accidents are caused when the driver fails to pay proper attention to what he or she is doing, and greehouse gases have over-ridden our atmosphere with choking smog. Many Americans rely on their cars, but have we thought about the positive of limiting our car usage? We as fellow citizens have a subsantial amount of advantages if we simply limit our car usage to help create a better enviornment, for us, for the community, and for those to come.

One advantage of limited car usage is a better quality of life for a person. When a person has the responsibility of a car, they must make sure all of the parts are working properly, know how to operate the car safely, know exactly which routes to take that are safest for the car and for themself, know exactly how to fix the car in case something malfunctions, the list continues. This causes the person to become overwhelmed and stressed due to the needs of their car. Elisabeth Rosenthal states in

"The End of Car Culture"

that, "people who stopped car commuting as a result of recession find little reason to resume the habit" (Rosenthal, paragraph 8). Basically, people who limited their use of cars were more relaxed and found no good reason to return to their habit of using a car. Furthurmore, with more people limiting their car usage, the more they use local stores and shops that are walking or biking distance. Rosenthal also states

"In German Suburb, Life Goes on Without Cars"

, "stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls..." (Rosenthal, paragraph 6). In other words, buisnesses florish due to their locations and promote citizens to limit their car usage due to their distance to travel. This also allows for more people to acknowledge their cities and allow them to become cleaner and beautiful.

Similar to the first, another advantage is for the better-ment of the city. According to

"Paris bans driving due to smog"

by Robert Duffer, "... Beijing, China which is known as one of the most polluted cities in the world" (Duffer, paragraph 5). This is due to Beijing's huge population [tourist and regular] and their increased use of cars on a daily basis. In other words, smog due to passenger cars in one of the leading causes of pollution in our society. The cars are, literally, choking us and future generation to the point where we won't be able to breathe. Limited car usage allows for the reduction of greenhouse emmisions and smog, allowing for oxygen to circulate and breathe life into us and our children. As a result of reduced greenhouse emmisions, cities become cleaner and more beautiful. As stated by Andrew Selsky in

"Car-free day is Spinning into a Big Hit in Bogota"

, "Parks and sports senters also have bloomed throughout the city; uneven, pitted sidewalks have been replaced by broad, smooth sidewalks; and new resturants and upscale shopping districts have croopped up" (Selsky, paragraph 15). Basically, the limited use of cars has allowed the city to florish and reconstruct itself into something beautiful and strong for the community to enjoy.

The limited use of cars has allowed for the betterment of the community and of cities across the globe and many people are taking advantage of this new era coming into play. The health of people has improved and the pollution that makes up our atmosphere has decreased in a slow, but steady stream. Imagine how much better the enviornment would be once the use of cars is limited to less than one perent of the population. The future is bright and we only need to strive for it, without headlights.