Cars,pollution and health.docx

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1、Cars,AirPollutionandHealthCarshavetwooppositepersonalities.Oneisfriendlyandattractivetheotherisdestructiveandcanbelethal.Thedesiretoownacarislinkedtopleasure,sexuality,convenienceandfreedom.Menlustforattractive,prestigiouscarstheywaytheylustforwomenandwomendesiremenwithattractive,prestigiouscars.Car

2、manufacturershavelongusedattractive,lightlycladwomentoadvertisetheirlatestautodesigns.Menarealsointerestedinpower,performanceandwanttoknowsomethingabouttheengine,althoughmodemenginesaresufficientlycomplextodiscourageeventheprofessionalmechanic.Someofthenewenginecomplexityinvolvesemissioncontrolsyste

3、msthatrequireelectronicmonitoringandadjustmentofengineperformanceunderdifferentoperatingconditions.Severaldevicesareaddedtotheenginetohandleairflowin,fueldeliveryandexhaustout.Computershavebeenaddedtomonitorandcontrolengineperformance.Mostcarenginesdesignedafter1996haveastandardportthatallowsadiagno

4、sticcomputeraccesstoinformationaboutengineperformance.Drivingacaristhemostpollutingactanaveragecitizencommits.EmissionsfrompassengervehiclesareincreasinginCanadaandtheUSdespiteattemptstomakeenginesmorefuelefficientanddespitetheadditionofantipollutiondevices.Themainreasonisthatcarsaregettingbiggerand

5、pick-uptrucks,vansandsportsvehiclesareoftenreplacingsmaller,lighterpassengercars.Theaveragenewvehiclein2003consumedmorefuelthatitscounterpartin1988.IntheUSAin1987carsaveraged25.9milestothegallon.Fuelefficiencydroppedto24.6milesgallonby1998andisdroppingfurtheraslargervehiclesreplacesmallerones.Despit

6、escientificevidence,governmentsinmostaffluentcountrieshaveignoredtheirresponsibilitytoreduceemissionsofgreenhousegases.TheUSAisbiggestemitterofgreenhousegasesworldwide.USemissionshaveincreasedto7billiontonesofCO2in2004,16%higherthanemissionsinthelate90,s.TheUKhasdonebetterreducingtheiremissionstoabo

7、ut0.6billiontons,14%below1990levels.Exhaustfromallcombustionenginescombinetoproducelocaladverseeffectsonthehealthofcarusersandallinnocentbystanders.Citieshavebecomeislandsoftoxicchemicalsfromtheunrestraineduseofvehiclesburningfossilfuels.Carsarenoisy,ugly,andoftendangerousanddominatetheexperienceofm

8、odemliving.Wearenowusedtothecarnageonroadsandhighways-attemptstoreducedeathanddisabilityfromourmotorizedcontainershavenotsubstantiallyalteredthenegativeimpactonsociety.Theadversehealtheffectsofcarexhaustarepervasiveanddifficulttomeasure.TelevisionAdsforsportsandrecreationvehiclesshowsolitary,impecca

9、blemachinesinwildernesslocations.OneTVadshowsacouplemakingamaddashtoescapethecitycoreintheirexpensive,luxuryupholsteredcloneoftheland-rover.Theadsaresellingafantasyofwildernessandescape.Istheconsumeriscompletelydeluded?Thesevehiclesaremostlyfoundinsuburbandrivewaysandthetrafficjamsofpollutedcities.T

10、heyhavenowheretogotoescapetheenvironmentaldegradationtheyhelptocreate.4x4drivesandlargetiresarerarelyusefulandarenotsuitedtohighwaydriving;youseethesemachines,submergedinsuburbandrivewaysbythefloodstheyhelpedtocreate.Combustionenginescontributetocarbondioxideaccumulationintheatmosphereandareresponsi

11、bleforclimatechanges.Asane,soberrevisionofvehicleuseislongoverdue.WhatCanIdo?DriveLessBothlocalandglobalpollutionwouldbedramaticallyimprovedifeachcar-drivingpersonpledgedtousetheircar30%lessstartingimmediately.Citiesshouldreducevehiculartrafficby30%overthenext3to5years.Thisisarealisticcontribution.E

12、achpersoncanresistthetemptationtobuylarger,heaviercars,vans,trucksandsportsvehicles.Ifyoureallyneedtodriveoff-roadsinwildernesssettings,youneedaruggedclunkerthat,salreadygotscratches,dentsandmudonthetires.Carryashovel,axe,chainsaw,andacome-alongintheback.Ifyoucanaffordit,addaheavydutywinchupfront.St

13、ayoffhighways.StrategiesReducenumberofVehicles-Urbanareasneedtosetvehicularquotasandpermitsarelimitedinnumbertocontrolregionalairpollution.Improveefficiencyofvehicles-reversethetrendtolargervehicles;engineeringsolutionstoemissionsofcombustionengines;newpowersourcessuchasfuelcellsandnewfuelssuchasmet

14、hanol,propane,naturalgas-ultimately,hydrogen.Improveefficiencyoftraffic-creatededicatedbuslanesandgiveprioritytocar-poolsandvehicleswith3ormorepassengers.Trafficcanbescheduledtooptimizeroadusage;mercialtrafficatnight;largecompaniescanstaggeredworkinghoursanddecentralizeadministrativeoperations.Commu

15、tinglongdistancesincarstoworkneedstobephasedout.Singlepassengercommutingtoworkshouldbestronglydiscouraged.Theuseofcarsmustbere-defined.Carusehastobeconsideredaprivilege,notaright.Thecostofenvironmentalreclamationhastobeaddedtothecostofowningandoperatingacar.Carsusecannolongerbesubsidized.Governments

16、canencouragethereductionofvehicularuseby: PromotingVoluntaryabstention IncreasedPublicTransit-diversifyoptionsandprioriesaccesstoexistingroads. Separatecommercialandprivatetraffictoincreaseefficientuseofroads Stopbuildingcar-orientedroadsandhighways Replace30%oftheexistingroadsdesignedforcarswithavarietyoftransportationoptions Incities,buildmorewalkingpaths,bicycleroutesandpathsforsmallelectricvehicles Reducecommuting-linkresidenceandbusinessac