Technological Advancements and the Environment
Recently there has been a decline in the number of people getting licenses. Sometimes, parents of teenagers give them a hard time for not getting there license quickly because when they were teenagers, cars were necessary to live one’s daily life. However, technological advances allow people to get by in today’s society without a license and car. In fact, it’s a good thing that fewer people are driving because carbon emissions from cars are killing the earth. So consider quitting driving your car and save the earth instead.
Cars kill the earth by contributing to climate change. They are the number one contributor to greenhouse gases. This is one reason why young people are choosing to not get their licenses. they care about the earth. Not everyone is an expert on climate change or how cars contribute to such; however, most people have general knowledge of climate change and that the gases from cars negatively impact the earth. Most people understand that cars’ emissions hurt the atmosphere, they contribute to the general warming of the earth which raises sea levels, and that the ozone, our protection from the sun’s harmful rays, is being destroyed. People know that the more pollutants we put into the air, the more dangerous it is to breathe.
Not everyone knows that the air pollutants end up in the water. That the fish we rely on for food end up being killed from warming waters, from polluted water, and the people who rely on those fish for food or industry go hungry. Not everyone knows that there is a decline in people getting driver’s licenses. But it is clear that people’s concern is growing. What does this mean for the car industry and transportation in general? Well, people will begin relying more on technology, on the phones in their hands or pockets. Our phones can get us places through ridesharing apps. If you find yourself stuck somewhere, simply pull up a ridesharing app. Or, simply don’t use a car at all. There is probably public transportation near by–if you don’t know how to use it or access it, look it up on your phone.
Car culture is changing in today’s society. Because of growing concern for the environment, fewer people are deciding to harm the earth with contaminants such as carbon emissions. It’s not a bad thing that fewer people are driving, in fact it’s an excellent thing because it means we are cutting down on the top contributor to climate change. People might even find it easier to travel without cars in the near future because of the urbanization the U.S. is experiencing. People are moving into the cities and out of the suburbs. This means that fewer people will have to commute to the city and back to the suburbs which will result in less pollution. Not only will people not be required to drive a great distance for commuting, many will find that environmentally friendly transportation methods are more achievable when living in the close quarters of a city. Perhaps more people will take trains, buses, ride bikes, or walk to and from work. Whichever method you choose, I encourage you to cut down on using your car and next time you hear of a teenager taking a while to get their license, or maybe not getting one at all, encourage them to keep being environmentally friendly.
