Your Car at the Forefront of Global Warming

There is an endless debate over the primary cause of global warming. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the dramatic increase in gas concentration in our atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect is the most influential. Though some would argue otherwise, I agree with the IPCC. In fact, this conclusion has been supported by all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized nations plus at least 30 scientific societies and academies of science. Would you argue with a bunch of expert scientists in their findings and conclusions?

The greenhouse effect by itself is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s vital to our survival. The earth’s near-surface atmosphere naturally warms up to a certain degree over time and would cool down as well. Global warming is the joint result of solar activity, volcanic eruptions and several other factors, but none of these have impacted the earth’s temperature more than human activity. More than 50 years of data support this fact.

The industrial age is when we started using fossil fuels to power engines of all sorts. Although the inventions created during this time were revolutionary, the incessant burning of oil released massive amounts of carbon dioxide and other gasses into the air, which prevented the Earth’s heat from escaping to space.

Ordinarily, these things we use like light bulbs, computers and appliances, are not harmful, but the manner in which they have been manufactured is. In the case of vehicles however, it’s when we use them that we inflict damage.

A single car running on regular gasoline may mean nothing, but when you multiply that millions of times worldwide, it’s substantial. For every single day in a year, imagine how much carbon dioxide we have released to the air as a species. This isn’t to say that we should stop using cars and transportation altogether, but a compromise needs to be worked out.

Good for us, our friendly scientists, inventors and business owners are on a race to produce earth-friendly alternatives. New cars have been made that minimize harmful emissions, with engines that use unleaded gas, or hybrid engines that use LPG or even natural gas. Some cars increase mileage per liter of gas to reduce consumption. Others eliminate gas consumption altogether such as electric cars, like those four-wheeled contraptions in Japan. If you don’t have these new babies, you can still help by reducing consumption, like carpooling or using public transport instead.

Really, like most problems, the solutions lie on education and discipline. Governments should take initiative to enforce stricter laws to protect the environment, and consumers must be educated on the benefits of these "green cars" and the alternate means of powering them. We’re not asking you to give up your car to save the Earth, just be more responsible.