The greenhouse effect is a …show more content…
Last year, Americans drove almost three trillion miles according to estimates from the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. That was a lot of time on the open road, time stuck in the traffic, and time for carbon emissions to enter our atmosphere. They also estimated that carbon dioxide emissions of each vehicle is 8,320 pounds per year. We need 100 to 120 trees to absorb the carbon emissions for one car’s life. (Carbon Emissions from Cars) We should utilize public transportation, and it will make a big difference to our community, even economy. We will save 855 million gallons of gas every year through public transportation. If 1 in 5 Americans using public transportation daily would decrease the amount of carbon monoxide emissions at a rate greater than all emissions produced by chemical manufacturing and metal processing industries. There will be 40% of the US dependency on foreign oil would cease if 1 in 10 Americans took the bus. The most important part is, it is 79% safer to take a bus than drive by yourself. (Smith, Use Public Transportation to Reduce Air Pollution) I am not saying we can’t drive our own vehicles at all, but we can be more rely on public transportation when we have to choose. As well as using public transportation, carpooling is also a good choice. For people who are in college, it should be the easiest time of life to find someone to carpool with. A few people share the gasoline and parking permit cost, and it would help each of them to save up some money. If we do carpool and use more public transportation, our ecological footprint can become