Impacts of Cars on Environment

 car pollutants cause immediate and long-term effects on the environment car exhausts emit a wide range of gases and solid matter causing global warming acid rain and harming the environment and human health engine noise and fuel spills also cause pollution cars trucks and other forms of transportation are the single largest contributor to air pollution in the united states but car owners can reduce their vehicles effects on the environment. Cars can convey a sense of freedom and movement not to mention style and status but they also can have a big impact on the planet here's a few key areas to consider production and destruction cars consume a lot of energy before they ever make it to the open road automotive production leaves a giant footprint because materials like steel rubber glass plastics paints and many more must be created before a new ride is ready to roll similarly the end of a car's life doesn't mark the end of its environmental impact plastics toxicity battery acids and other products may stay in the environment .

Fortunately junkyard pileups are becoming much smaller than they were in the past about three quarters of today's average car including the bulk of a steel frame can be recycled production recycling and disposal costs of the environment are difficult to quantify and largely beyond the control of most consumers it's also true that most of an automobile's environmental impact perhaps eighty to ninety percent will be due to fuel consumption and emissions of air pollution and greenhouse gases that climate scientists say are driving global warming.

Fortunately the level of that impact is very much under the control of the driver fuel costs petroleum products raise environmental
red flags even before they are burned extracting them from the earth is an energy-intensive process that can damage local ecosystems shipping fuels can also consume a lot of energy and creates an occasional environmental disaster such as an oil spill as world demand rises and unconventional fuel sources such as oil sands become more economically viable. The ecological impacts of petroleum extraction might also increase dramatically that's one more reason why fuel efficiency is so important it's also partly why electric powered vehicles can help reduce environmental impacts because they don't burn fossil fuels air quality vehicles are america's biggest air quality compromises producing about one-third of volumes air pollution the smog carbon monoxide and other toxins emitted by vehicles are especially troubling because they leave tailpipes at street level where humans breathe the polluted air directly into their lungs that can make auto emissions an even more immediate health concern than toxins emitted high in the sky by industrial smokestacks. Infrastructure also difficult to quantify another associated impact of cars is the building of roads to support them as well as the urban sprawl that tends to follow in their wake this issue can be difficult to tease out of other factors such as population
growth and resource consumption, but it is also not easily addressed by technological advancements like fuel efficiency and electric propulsion road building has a big impact on emissions and wildlife global warming car pollution is one of the major causes of global warming. 

Cars and trucks emits carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases which contribute one-fifth of the united states total global warming pollution. 

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere which causes worldwide temperatures to rise without greenhouse gases the earth would be covered in ice but burning excessive amounts of fossil fuels such as gasoline and diesel has caused an increase of 0.6 degrees celsius or 1 degre fahrenheit in global temperatures. Since pre-industrial times and this will continue to rise over the coming decades warmer global temperatures affect farming wildlife sea levels and natural landscapes air soil and water. 

The effects of car pollution are widespread affecting air soil and water quality nitrous oxide contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer which shields the earth from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide mix with rainwater to create acid rain which damages crops forests and other vegetation and buildings. Oil and fuel spills from cars and trucks seep into the soil near highways and discarded fuel and particulates from vehicle emissions contaminate lakes rivers and wetlands. Noise from road traffic affects 30 percent of people in the uk sources include engine noise tire noise car horns car stereos door slamming and squeaking brakes vehicles have been subject to noise standards for many years through eu legislation the sound of engines is meanwhile encouraging people to close car windows when playing loud music and discouraging the use of boombox car stereos would significantly reduce noise.
Impacts on human health particulate matter hydrocarbons carbon monoxide and other car pollutants harm human health. Diesel engines emit high levels of particulate matter which is airborne particles of sodium metal these cause skin and eye irritation and allergies and very fine particles lodge deep in lungs where they cause respiratory problems. Hydrocarbons react with nitrogen dioxide and sunlight and form ozone which is beneficial in the upper atmosphere but harmful at ground level ozone inflames lungs causing chest pains and coughing and making it difficult to breathe. Carbon monoxide another exhaust gas is particularly dangerous to infants and people suffering from heart disease because it interferes with the blood's ability to transport oxygen other car pollutants that harm human health include sulfur dioxide benzene and formaldehyde. Noise from cars is also harmful damaging hearing and causing psychological ill health we need to move away from fossil fueled cars. Electric vehicles can reduce GHGs emissions by half in 2030 compared to fossil fuel driven cars offsetting up to 540 megatons of co2 equivalents electrified cars also significantly reduce air pollution electrified cars made up just 0.4 percent of the cars on the road in 2018. 

By 2030 the share of electrified vehicles of new sales could be as high as 50 but it could also be only 10 it will depend on incentives for producers and consumers such as tax breaks for clean electricity taxation of co2 emissions elimination of fossil fuels subsidies and so on. Some countries have made major progress on the use of electrified cars in norway 56 of new cars sold in 2019 were electric fully or plug-in hybrids reducing car pollution. 

There are several ways that car and truck owners can reduce the effects of car pollutants on the environment old and poorly maintained vehicles cause most pollution from cars but electric hybrid and other clean fuel-efficient cars have a reduced impact when buying a new car check the fuel economy and environment label high ratings mean low pollution levels maximize fuel economy by removing all unneeded items such as roof racks and driving steadily rather than accelerating quickly and breaking hard keep your vehicle well maintained with regular tune-ups and tire checks and leave the car at home whenever you can walk bike or use public transportation when possible. Vehicle use affects our whole quality of local life traffic can be dangerous and intimidating dividing communities and making street life unpleasant. Abandoned vehicles cause nuisance whilst air pollution and traffic noise can make urban living uncomfortable.