Introduction
Personal and commercial vehicles that people drive every day represent a significant cause for many environmental problems, including global warming. Together, cars and trucks make up around a fifth of all emissions in the US only, emitting up to 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases Transportation, including cars, trucks, plains, trains, and other methods produce around 30% of US global warming emissions, which is more compared to other sectors (“Car Emissions and Global Warming”). In the EU, the rate is also 30%, of which 72% comes directly from road transportation (“CO2 Emissions from Cars: Facts and Figures”). Therefore, the emissions problem that is caused by the excessive use of cars is an issue that affects most of the modern world and needs to be addressed as soon as possible to prevent further adverse impact.
Main body
Significantly reducing the volumes of carbon dioxide emissions from transport is unlikely to be easy, especially since there has been a decline in both Europe and the United States. According to Irfan for Vox, the US has set a commitment to cut the emissions 26 to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025 under the Paris climate agreement. However, this means that the country is required to reduce the output of CO2 by 1.7 to 2% each year (Irfan). Furthermore, in June 2018, President Trump announced the intentions of the US to withdraw from the Paris agreement, which would make carbon dioxide prevention measures even more complicated (Irfan). Thus, the current regulatory climate presents a challenge for the implementation of solutions for reducing CO2 emissions.
The most effective way to solve the identified problem is associated with the introduction of higher numbers of rechargeable vehicles that operate on electricity. Solar cars are also an option; however, there has to be further development to make them more affordable for the general public. The solution is based on the full range of advantages that vehicles run on renewable energy have. For example, electric and solar cars have lower running costs compared to vehicles that require petrol. In addition, battery electric vehicles have fewer moving parts than the conventional car that uses petrol or diesel. This means that such cars have fewer servicing needs and will hot have costly exhaust and fuel injection systems, radiators, and other parts that may require replacement. Therefore, when people buy a vehicle that runs on renewable energy to reduce the impact on the environment, they will also save money on the resources necessary to maintain the serviceability of cars.
Conclusion
Electric and solar cars will reduce harmful air pollution that results from exhaust emissions. Moreover, when car owners use renewable energy to recharge their vehicles, they will reduce emissions even further. Solar PV systems are available for recharging electric vehicles, which means that there are more options for renewable energy solutions than one may initially think. The more people purchase electric vehicles or solar cars if possible, the higher is the likelihood of the US reducing the emissions of CO2 into the atmosphere, causing significant harm to the environment. It is imperative to mention that the population should be educated about the range of benefits that electric and solar cars have beyond saving the environment. The extensive range of advantages may encourage the public to switch to vehicles that do not use petrol or diesel fuel.
Works Cited
“Car Emissions and Global Warming.” Union of Concerned Scientists. 2014, Web.
“CO2 Emissions from Cars: Facts and Figures.” European Parliament. 2019, Web.
Irfan, Umair. “Cars and Trucks are America’s Biggest Climate Problem for the 2nd Year in a Row.” Vox. 2018, Web.