Automobiles and the Environment

In his book Restless Nation Starting everyplace in America, James Jasper (2002) explores the comfort Americans derive from the auto industry and its of import effects to the surround. Jasper (2002) argues that one of the main reasons why American be wide awake and moves to a greater extent than any other people in the ball is aim of automobiles and punk gas in the coarse.Since the starting of the auto industry in the beginning of the 20th century, automobiles have been surrounded with controversy and camarilla. It has been argued that unethical practices and conspiracy amongst oil and automobile industry has brought the universe to an surroundal hole in a less than one century but it testament take to a greater extent than one century to reverse the tr finis.Since their invention, automobiles have had dissimilar negative impacts to the environment. With little consideration of the route you perceive the relationship between the environment and automobiles, there are ne gative aspects right from the manufacturing offshoot to the end mess which is piled in the junkyards.Whether in terms of energy usage, air pollution, urine pollution, there is an obvious negative impact to the environment. Referring to statistics, it is evident that automobiles have had greater negative impact to United States and other countries around the world.More than two thirds of Americans are overweight or obese and one aspect contributing to this form is reduced physical exercise and increase use of automobiles. U.S consumers account for more than 25% of the worlds energy production while it produces still 10% of world energy which means cars and light trucks contribute to high energy consumption. Automobiles therefore consumer resources and emit pollution affected our health. All the musical mode from manufacturing process to the end of life cycle of that car, automobiles affect the environment in various ways.Research questionThe following will be the research quest ions that will contract the studya) Historically, how have automobiles affected our finish?b) In which ways, has automobiles affected the environment?c) What can be done to reverse the trend?Driving our way to pollutionIn his book, James Jasper (2002) exposes the impact of automobile on lives of Americans. On average, Americans drive more than any other people in the world, thanks to presence of cheap car, cheap gas, and capitalism. He asserts that automobile is not just an asset in the modern life but it is a part of emerging world culture. Time has elapse when owning an automobile was a preserve for the rich and today, it has kick the bucket a basic necessity (McCarthy, 2007).At the peak of growth of the industry in 1920s, Henry Ford embarked on a major campaign to popularize the use of motor vehicles (Melosi, 2000). His invention of Fordism production system led to sight production of cars enabling the middle class Americans to own cars. The automobile culture grew rapidly a nd even today, it has become difficult to change this culture (Eban, 2001). From environmental perspective, this was however an enigma of auto mobility, a paradox difficult to solve.For a long time in the history of the industry, the relationship of automakers and their customers was not risible (Melosi, 2000). However, the second half of the twentieth century came with oil crisis and for once in the course of the century, people realized that gas can be dear(p) and fuel efficient cars were important compared to gas guzzlers.At the same time, American governance realized the importance of having legislations which regulated consumption of energy in the country (McCarthy, 2007). The Clean Energy Act of 1971 came with devastating effects on American automakers as consumer preferred environmental friendly cars. This culminated in other acts bid in California where all cars were required to have zero emission.However, industrial conspiracy between automakers and oil industry orchest rated destruction of some(prenominal) electric cars, killing the dream of environment friendly cars (Melosi, 2000). More than ever, environment effects of automobiles are evident to everyone from our polluted cities to junkyard full of old automobiles. However, the world has continued to drive its way to pollution and perhaps eventual defunctness of life on earth if not urgent measures are taken.What do we mean by driving our way to environmental pollution? To figure this question well, it is important to review environmental effects of automobiles right from manufacturing process of their end of life cycle.