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Environmentally Friendly “In the United States, approximately 6.6 tons (almost 15,000 pounds carbon equivalent) of greenhouse gases are emitted per person every year” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). Naturally occurring greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Certain human activities, however, add to the levels of most of these naturally occurring gases: Carbon dioxide is released to the atmosphere when solid waste, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal), and wood and wood products are burned. Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from the decomposition of organic wastes in municipal solid waste landfills, and the raising of livestock. Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, as well as during combustion of solid waste and fossil fuels. “Most of these emissions, about 82%, are from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity and power our cars. The U.S presently emits more greenhouse gases per person than any other country” (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency). The impacts we face are rising global temperatures. The rising temperatures are expected to raise sea level, and change precipitation and evaporation, more intense rainstorms, and drier soils. Basically, as we know it, life and our environment will not be the same. Environmental activists have argued and are still arguing that automobiles are one of the direct causes of pollution. It is obvious that our environment is in dire need of an alternative to gas-guzzling cars to significantly help decrease the amounts of greenhouse gases emitted per person each Espiritu 2 year. Now that one has been invented, the question is why it is not enforced amongst all automobile dealers and drivers by the government. A vehicle’s main purpose is to provide people with transportation. Many cities, however, offer exceptional public transportation, such as San Francisco’s “Muni” buses which have zero fuel emissions.
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