AUTOMOBILES AFFECTING CLIMATE CHANGE

By: Madeleine Cherney

Background

Automobiles have been causing pollution since their creation in the late 1800s.

Main Articles Used

1. Car Emissions and Global Warming from Union of Concerned Scientists

2. Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution from Union of Concerned Scientists

These articles discuss how automobiles have in general, negatively affected the environment causing climate change/global warming. There is no date written on

these articles. However, the updated material shows that they are recent.

Concept/Theory:Global Warming/Climate Change

According to the Miller textbook chapter number one, the definition of Climate Change is: “The upward shift in overall global temperature, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events.”

The Greenhouse Effect

“ … the greenhouse effect and is natural and necessary to support life on Earth. However, the buildup of greenhouse gases can change Earth’s climate and result in dangerous effects to human health and welfare and to ecosystems.” (Miller text pg. 7)

Why Automobiles Add to the Buildup of Greenhouse Gases

Around the world, a huge percentage of greenhouse gases come from cars. 19 pounds per gallon of heat-trapping emissions comes right out of a car’s tailpipe.

Ways Automobiles Affect Climate Change

Almost 1/5 of the pollution in the United States alone comes from cars and trucks

Every gallon of gas = around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases

Ways Automobiles Affect Climate Change Continued

Elements harmful to the environment emitted from automobiles:Particulate matter (PM)Hydrocarbons (HC)Nitrogen oxides (NOx)Carbon monoxide (CO)Sulfur dioxide (SO2)Hazardous air pollutants (toxics)Greenhouse gases

Car Companies: Green or Mean

According to infoplease.com, Least and Most Polluting Cars 2014: Mercedes-Benz

Most “green” vehicle is the Mercedes-Benz Smart Electric Drive Convertible/Coupe Cadillac

Most polluting car is the Cadillac Escalade ESV

There is not one specific car company that is worse for the environment than another. However, some companies make it a higher priority to create more eco-friendly automobiles.

Have Automobiles Been Causing Less Pollution?Overall, automobiles nowadays are being made with a more eco-friendly ideal in mind. In other

words, companies now know that global warming is an issue that is greatly influenced by automobiles.

How Automobiles are One of the Worst Polluters

“Cars and trucks produce air pollution throughout their life, including pollution emitted during vehicle operation, refueling, manufacturing, and disposal. Additional emissions are associated with the refining and distribution of vehicle fuel.” (Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution paragraph 3)

Where The Effects of Climate Change from Automobiles is Felt

Climate change is something that is happening worldwide.

Some main effects of climate change: Glaciers have shrunk Ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier Plant and animal ranges have shifted Trees are flowering sooner Loss of sea ice Hastened sea level rise Longer, more intense heat waves

Are There Any Solutions to Automobiles Causing Climate

Change?

The answer to this question is YES!

Looking Forward

Unless there is an extreme reverse in the entire automobile industry, cars will continue to be a leading cause of climate change/global warming. For now, people can do simple things to help such as shutting their engine off when they are sitting in the car; anything that burns less gasoline, causing greenhouse gases to be emitted, is helpful for the environment.

How can you help decrease car emissions?

Looking Forward Continued

“Major investors have warned the automotive industry it needs to accelerate its readiness for a low-carbon world if it is to retain their support and prosper.

Vehicle makers must put climate change specialists on their boards, engage better with policy-makers, and invest more heavily in low-emission cars, says a network of 250 global investors with assets of more than $24tn (£20tn).” (Investors warn car industry over climate change, paragraph 3)

Helping to Halt Global Warming

Buying an automobile which is “fuel-efficient” will lesson the impact that your car has on the environment. The impact is lessened because a “fuel-efficient” car uses less gas which in turn pumps less toxic fumes into the air causing global warming.

Fuel-Efficient Toyota Prius

Helping to Halt Global Warming Continued

Another way to help the environment is to use fuels that are more refined than the average gasoline such as fuels made from cellulosic biofuels. Any fuel that produces fewer emissions is more environmentally-friendly, and does not add to global warming significantly.

Helping to Halt Global Warming Continued

“Electric cars and trucks use electricity as fuel, producing fewer emissions than their conventional counterparts. When the electricity comes from renewable sources, all-electric vehicles produce zero emissions to drive.” (Car Emissions and Global Warming, paragraph 7)

Electric Car: Chevrolet Bolt

Can Humans and the Automotive Industry Really Reverse Climate Change?

The Miller text says that there is debate about whether or not organizations should go to the extent of classifying themselves as “green companies.” Could doing this truly reverse climate change? However, the textbook encourages organizations to be as friendly to the environment as they possibly can. (Miller text pg. 8)

Final Questions and Thoughts for Solutions

Questions:

What are the best strategies to educate the public on automobiles affecting climate change? When and if automobiles are expected to all be made in a way that does not produce pollution? Regarding climate change itself, when are scientists predicting that it gets worse or better?

Thoughts for Solutions: Perhaps one thing that everyone could do as a solution to automobiles negatively affecting climate

change, is to research the topic so that awareness can be spread. If more awareness was spread about this topic, then people would be more conscious about the kind of

car that they buy or the kind of fuel they use for their cars. People could practice accelerating slowly, this decreases polluting fumes coming from the

automobile’s tailpipe.

Works Cited

Car Emissions and Global Warming. (n.d.). In Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming#.WLsnhjsrLIU

Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution. (n.d.). In Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved from

http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution#.WMhDhTsrK00 Consequences of Climate Change. (n.d.). In Global Climate Change. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ Least and Most Polluting Cars, 2014. (2017). In Infoplease. Retrieved from http://

www.infoplease.com/world/transportation/greenest-meanest-cars.html Macalister, T. (2016, October 12). Investors Warn Car Industry Over Climate Change. In The Guardian. Retrieved from https://

www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/12/investors-warn-car-industry-over-climate-change Miller, K. (2015). Organizational Communication Approaches and Processes (Seventh ed., pp. 7-8). Stamford, CT: Cengage

Learning.