Transportation plays a very important role. The automobile is the main form of transportation in the world.

Connecting people from point 'A' to point 'B'. Cars offer fast reliable transportation, offering drivers access to
anywhere with roads, but there are consequences. Automobiles are the leading cause to air pollution problem.
Cars also release toxic emissions that damage our environment. Hurting our environment by adding to the
greenhouse effect, damaging air quality, and decreasing the ozone. Not to mention the growing smog problems,
disasters done with landfill and the effects done to our water supply. Which all are connected with the greenhouse
effect, ozone depletion, and air quality. Even though today's ozone is stable, ultraviolet rays are under control, and
the air we breathe is still healthy. In the near future these luxuries will not be available if we continue to drive cars
of today. Effecting the way humans operate their lives on a regular basis.

Cars damage our environment by the emissions released from the combustion system of an automobile. Certain
emissions effect out environment and do damage to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is the process
where infrared rays from the sun come into the Earth's atmosphere. The atmosphere traps these rays after they
have entered, keeping the Earth warm and habitable. Toxic gases weaken the atmosphere allowing for more
infrared rays to enter. Having more infrared rays reflected on the Earth warms the Earth, raising the temperature.
Causing certain vegetation life to die off, the snow caps to melt, and increased temperature. Carbon dioxide and
carbon monoxide are two greenhouse gases that damage our Earth's atmosphere. Reducing the amount of these
greenhouse gases will greatly help reduce these effects.

Cars release 30 percent of the carbon dioxide in the earth's air. Carbon dioxide is released from the tailpipe of a
car and can do much damage to the human respiratory system. Every time an automobile burns a gallon of
gasoline it releases 22 pounds of carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide is also a damaging greenhouse gas. Cars
account for 76 percent of the carbon monoxide in the earth's air. Carbon monoxide affects the bloods total
capacity for carrying oxygen by to the heart, brain, and other important organs. Automobiles also release nitrogen
oxide (N0x), contributing 30 percent of N0x in the earth's atmosphere. Adding to the already problem of acid rain,
which can damage health by increasing coughing, asthma, and stinging eye. Volatile organic compounds also
released by car emissions combine with nitrogen oxides creating smog. Smog contaminates city air and cause
respiration problems to humans and harms vegetation. Volatile organic compounds have also been linked to the
vague 'Sick Building Syndrome' a cancerous disease that has unknown effects on the body.

The ozone layer is made up of a molecule containing three oxygen molecules. Playing an important role in
absorbing radiation from the sun. Protecting us from ultra violet rays. Without an ozone layer these rays would
effect humans with non-melanoma skin cancer, as well as damaging plant life, marine life, and animal life. Ozone
molecules destroy and create at a stable rate, but when in contact with certain man made chemicals. Ozone
molecules are being destroyed faster than they are being produced, creating a hole in the ozone. CFC's, once
considered a miracle substance, is one of the major chemicals breaking down ozone molecules. Breaking ozone
molecules down at a rate of 100,000 to 1. CFC is a chemical used in the cooling process, or refrigeration process
of man made objects. Car's air conditionings release these CFC's, and appropriate precautions are not being
taking to deplete the amount of CFC's in most countries today.

The disposal and production of car hurts the environment in two ways, adding CFC's to the atmosphere and
creating landfills for tires. In the production of cars, CFC's are entered into the car system. Releasing small
amounts of CFC's into the atmosphere, but it only takes a small amount of CFC's to do a good amount of damage.
CFC's are also released during the life of the car, and released once again in the destruction of cars. Tires also
damage the environment because tires are not biodegradable, and usually discarded in a tire dump. Most tires are
sent to dumps or landfills were they must be monitored, in case of a fire breaking out. No one is really sure of the
damages done from a tire fire, but they can never be put out. Tires can burn for decades, releasing smoke and
haze into our environment. To deal with a burning fire they must be buried, this does not extinguish the fire; it just
covers it up. From that point the tire burns within. These landfills also create problems because of the amount of
disease spread from the large amount of insect populations growing in these tires. These tire dumps are not a very
nice setting and cause much of a threat to humans.

Traveling automobiles also damage the water supply with runoff lubricants, coolants, and gas deposits. These
runoffs mix into the rivers and lakes through sewer systems. These toxic chemicals cause rapid growth of aquatic
plants, which deplete water of dissolved oxygen, which then kills fish. It also creates a persistent bioaccumulative
toxic substance that marine animals eat. This substance then grows in the fatty tissue of fish, then getting passes
along to humans in the food chain. This substance breaks done over a very long period of time that can take up to
a decade. Causing future health problems for humans and marine animals.

Cars might be seen as a fast and free way to travel, but at whose expense. They are solutions to fix this problem,
Americans can support mass transit, electric sources of transportation, or choose other forms of transportation
that do not harm the environment. One day in the future we will laugh at how we would stand around and admire
the deep hum of a cars tailpipe. Not caring about how the emissions released damaged our lungs, and
environment. Cars have the long-term effect to destroy the environment by ruining its natural resources. Global
warming, air pollution, and ozone depletion a scare that must be dealt with before the consequences set in.
Reversing the effects once done is not an option. Ozone molecules can not compete with CFC's, and technology
is not moving fast enough to repair the ozone. What then lies ahead for America and its environment? Massive
change must be addressed, reducing the amount of driving time around. This would benefit every citizen and
generations to come. The creation of the automobile has dug into the world a deep hole. This hole can not be filled
in and hidden up. This hole can and will endanger human life in the near future. However we can choose to stop
digging this hole, we can choose to select alternatives. In hope that Mother Nature can one day replenish its
goodness to the way it was meant to be.
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of cars. Advantages are:
- Ease of transportation
- Families can go out together
- Fast commute from one place to another
- Advantage to old and sick people
The disadvantages are:
- Increase in Pollution
- Dependence on cars
- Decrease in practices such as walking and cycling
- The above decrease has led to a number of diseases.