In Search of Acceptable Solutions

MOTOR VEHICLES are not alone in creating pollution. Private households, industrial plants, and power stations must also share responsibility. Still, the part that motor vehicles play in creating global pollution is considerable.

In fact, 5000 Days to Save the Planet ventures to say: “If all these costs had to be accounted for—especially the cost to our climate of emitting carbon dioxide—then cars would probably never be built.” Nevertheless, it concedes: “But that is an option which neither car manufacturers, nor the road industry, nor government agencies, nor indeed the general public, whose lives increasingly depend on private transport, are prepared to contemplate.”

Should not the technology that put man on the moon be able to produce a pollution-free car? Doing is never as easy as saying, so until the obstacles to developing a pollution-free car can be overcome, the search for other acceptable solutions continues.

Cutting Back on Pollutants

In the 1960’s the United States passed legislation requiring the installation of controls on motor vehicles to restrict the emission of pollutants. Other countries and governments have since done the same.

Catalytic converters, which require the use of unleaded gasoline, are now widely used to filter out harmful pollutants. Between 1976 and 1980, after motorists in large numbers began using unleaded gas, the lead level in the blood of Americans fell by one third. And well it did, for an excess of lead can affect the nervous system and hinder learning ability. Sad to say, however, while a drop in lead levels has taken place in many countries of the developed world, the same cannot be said of less-developed lands.

The success of catalytic converters is gratifying, but their use remains controversial. Because of loss of performance that resulted when lead was no longer added, the hydrocarbon composition of gasoline was changed. This has resulted in an increase in the emissions of other carcinogens, such as benzene and toluene, whose emission levels catalytic converters do not reduce.

Besides, catalytic converters require the use of platinum. According to Professor Iain Thornton, of Imperial College in Britain, one of their side effects has been a rise in platinum deposited in roadside dust. He warned of the possibility that “soluble forms of platinum could enter the food chain.”

Despite any success of “catalytic converters in North America, Japan, South Korea and several European countries,” 5000 Days to Save the Planet realistically admits, “the massive growth in numbers of cars around the world has completely wiped out the benefits to air quality.”

Slowing Down

Another method of cutting down on car emissions is to drive slower. But in the United States, some states have recently increased the speed limit. In Germany imposing restrictions is unpopular. Car manufacturers whose selling point is the ability to build powerful motors that easily permit cruising speeds in excess of 100 miles an hour [150 km/hr] are naturally opposed, as are a great number of drivers. It appears now, however, that more and more Germans are willing to accept speed restrictions not simply for environmental reasons but also for the sake of safety.

In some countries drivers are required to slow down when pollution reaches unacceptable levels—or perhaps to stop driving altogether. A 1995 poll revealed that 80 percent of Germans would agree to the introduction of speed limits if ozone levels became too high. Numerous cities throughout the world, including Athens and Rome, have already taken steps to restrict driving under certain circumstances. Others are considering doing the same.

Using Bicycles

To reduce traffic, some cities have introduced special rates for bus travel. Others provide free bus transportation for drivers who pay a nominal fee to park their cars in available lots. Other cities have reserved lanes just for buses and taxis in order to speed up these forms of transportation.

A novel way of combating the problem was recently noted in The European: “Inspired by a campaign in the Netherlands in the late 1960s, the resourceful Danes have come up with a plan to reduce air pollution and traffic congestion by persuading people to use two wheels instead of four.” Bicycles are placed at various locations throughout Copenhagen streets. Popping a coin into a device releases a bicycle for use. The deposit can be reclaimed when the bicycle is later returned to a convenient location. Time will tell whether this scheme will prove practical and will catch on.

To encourage the use of bicycles in place of cars, some German cities permit riders to cycle through one-way streets the wrong way! Since about one third of all trips in the city and more than one third of those in the rurals are shorter than two miles [3 km], many citizens could easily make most of them either on foot or by bicycle. This would help reduce pollution; at the same time, riders would be getting needed exercise.

Redesigning

Work continues on designing pollution-free automobiles. Electric cars that run on batteries have been produced, but they are limited as to speed and operating time. The same is true of solar-powered cars.

Another possibility being investigated is using hydrogen as fuel. Hydrogen burns with almost no emission of pollutants, but its cost is prohibitive.

Recognizing a need for reinventing the automobile, U.S. president Clinton announced in 1993 that the government and the U.S. auto industry would cooperate in designing the car of the future. He said: “We are going to try to launch a technological adventure as ambitious as any our nation has ever attempted.” Whether it will be possible “to create the perfectly efficient and ecologically friendly vehicle for the 21st century,” about which he spoke, remains to be seen. Plans call for producing a prototype within a decade—however, at enormous cost.

Some car manufacturers are working on models that run on a combination of gasoline and electricity. Already available in Germany—for a price—is an electric sports car capable of accelerating within nine seconds from a standing position to 60 miles per hour [100 km/hr], well on its way to a top speed of 110 [180]. But after 120 miles [200 km], it sputters to a stop until its batteries can be recharged for at least three hours. Research continues, and further progress is expected.

Only Part of the Problem

How to get rid of poisonous emissions is only part of the problem. Cars also cause noise pollution, something that anyone living near a crowded road well knows. Since continuous traffic noise can adversely affect health, this too is an elementary part of the problem that needs solving.

Nature lovers will also point out that many a countryside of natural beauty is blighted by miles of ugly highways, together with the unsightly business places and billboards that may border them. But as the number of cars increases, so does the need for more roads.

Some automobiles, after years of polluting in the service of their owners, continue their polluting ways even “after death.” Abandoned castoffs, serving only as eyesores, have become such a problem that legislation has had to be passed in some places to avoid their unduly cluttering the countryside. Will the ideal automobile, one made of easy-to-recycle materials, ever be built? Such a vehicle is nowhere in sight.

“Most Germans are greatly concerned about the environment,” notes a recent newspaper, adding, “but few act accordingly.” A government official is quoted as saying: “No one thinks of himself as the culprit, nor is anyone willing to be called to account.” Yes, problems are hard to solve in a world characterized by people who are “lovers of themselves” and “not open to any agreement.”—2 Timothy 3:1-3.

Still, the search for acceptable solutions goes on. Can an ideal solution to pollution and the automobile ever be found?

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Could pollution be reduced by our using public transportation, car pooling, or riding a bicycle?