Electric cars are better for us

Dean Karkut, JAHS Senior

     Automobiles have become an important part of our society.  Owning a car is a necessity to most people.  Without the automobile everyday life would be slowed down.  The transportation system would take a longer period of time.  Traveling to school, practice, or getting to work would be a much harder task.  The invention of the automobile in the early 1900s sped things up in the world.  It provided mobility and freedom to the people, as they could travel and commute to their desired destinations.  Although the automobile may arguably be the greatest invention ever, it has unfortunately been destructive to our nature.  Most automobiles use combustion engines which run off of fossil fuels.  When these fossil fuels are burned, they produce harmful gasses that are emitted into our environment.  These gases can hurt our environment in several different ways; such as global warming, acid rain, and ozone depletion.  

     Automobile emissions are the number one leading cause of pollution in the world.  One person’s car may not emit much pollution; but when millions of these cars emissions are added together, major amounts of emissions are being released.  When a car’s engine is running, several different types of gasses are emitted and have negative effects on the environment. Harmful gases to the environment are carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas and hydrocarbons.  When these Greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere it slightly changes the natural gases.  This causes a warming in climate and temperature which could eventually lead to the theory of global warming.  The automobile also causes harmful pollution called smog. Breathing in smog is very unhealthy to humans, plants, and animals.  Smog usually occurs in populated areas such as big cities.  Small country towns such as Plain City Ohio do not have a threats to smog; but Columbus has a much bigger threat.   Smog can be responsible for lung disease, colds, and the flu.  If we eliminated that tailpipe and switched to electric, these problems would not occur.   

     Although electric cars are very clean, and do not directly release harmful gases into the environment, they are not pollution free.  Electric cars are charged by electricity and most electricity is produced by burning fossil fuels. The United States gets 84% of its total energy from oil, coal, and natural gas, which are all fossil fuels.  This means that the power used to charge the electric car is actually producing pollution.  Even though electric cars do create pollution, the use of electric cars significantly can reduce emissions even after calculating the energy pollution.   “The report, “Driving Cleaner: More Electric Vehicles Mean Less Pollution,” shows that electric vehicles could prevent more than 18 million metric tons of climate-changing carbon pollution annually in the U.S. by 2025. That’s the equivalent of saving more than 2 billion gallons of gasoline per year, or eliminating tailpipe pollution from 3.8 million of today’s cars and trucks” (Madsen 1).   Saving 2 billion gallons of gasoline and emissions will lead to a cleaner and happier earth.   

     With electric cars you can help save the planet by eliminating exhaust emissions and save a few bucks in the process.  Electric cars eliminate the use of gasoline completely which can help your cash stay in your wallet.  According to www.ecomento.com, “Assuming 15,000 miles driven per year, Plug-In America came up with an an annual fuel cost of $2,135. However, with an estimated average electricity rate of 12 cents per kWh, it pegged the annual electric car energy cost at just $540, meaning drivers could save $1,595 per year”  (Ecomento 1).   Plugging that car in every night would not only would this save you $1600 a year it helps save our environment and keep our planet and the people in it healthy.

     Switching to electric cars would make the world a much cleaner place.  Right now automobiles worldwide are releasing emissions that are deteriorating our atmosphere.  This deterioration is causing a change in climate, temperature, and is contributing to the global warming effect.  Automobiles also contribute to smog and acid rain which destroys our crops, plants, and is harmful to humans.  It can lead to illnesses such as a minor cold to life threatening lung disease.  We can eliminate the pollution and emissions coming from the tailpipes of cars and save the environment, while being a hero and helping mother earth you can also save money.  In order for our generation and our children to live a full healthy life we must act now and reduce our carbon footprint.  Switching to electric cars is a necessity in the near feature to keep earth and the human race living happily and ever after.