"My fellow americans," a phrase said by many important people, like current president Barack Obama, implicates that the speaker is trying to portray a message. So I use that phrase for a reason, "My fellow americans, there has been a current movement to limit the amount of time a person spends driving." There are many advantages to limiting car use, that could make a big difference in the amount of greenhouse gases.

Take Vauban, Germany for example, a neighborhood where 70 percent of its residents do not own a car. This neighborhood follows a growing trend across the world, and is flourishing. Source 1 states, "In the United States, the Enviromental Protection Agency is promoting "car reduced" communities, and legislators are starting to act, if cautiously." This statement is a perfect example of this growing trend. If many suburbs follow Vauban's example, then the amount of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere will plummet. This will then cause the ozone to repair itself and global warming can be stopped. Source 1 also states, "Passenger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe ... and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States." This statistic is shocking! If the United States is responsible for a majority of the greenhouse emissions, then why has the United states done nothing to fix this. This is not the only example of this growing trend.

Another example is Paris in 2014. Due to the abundance of smog in the air, Paris banned driving cars for a limited amount of time. This fixed their problem, but Paris removed the ban after only one week. Source 2 states, "The smog cleared enough Monday for the ruling French party to rescind the ban for odd-numbered plates on Tuesday." Why would France stop the solution to their smog problem. The answer is, loss of revenue. Many companies during this ban lost revenue due to not being able to deliver their goods. Source 2 also states, "Diesel fuel was blamed, since france has ... [a] tax policy that favors diesel over gasoline. Diesels make up 67 percent of vehicles in France, compared to 53.3 percent average of diesel engines in the rest of Western Europe." This is a key factor in France's smog problem, and could be stopped by making a law limiting car usage.

One influential example is Bogota, Columbia. The citizens of Bogota have a tradition called "the Day Without Cars." They have been honoring this tradition for three years straight, and other countries around them are starting to take notice of its effects. Source 3 states, "For the first time, two other Columbian cities, Cali and Valledupar, joined the event." This statement shows how much of a pressing matter smog is to normal ppeople around the world. Source 3 also states, "It's a good opportunity to take away stress and lower air pollution." A day without cars not only helps the enviroment, it also mentally helps a person. If this could lower stress world wide, then less people would suffer from stress related injuries. Source 3 states, "... and new restaurantsd and upscale shopping districts have croped up." This tradition also helps the economy and can lower the percentage of people under the poverty line by creating jobs and helping people start their own business.

Three examples of cities or countries that have, at one time, stopped the usage of cars were shown in this essay. If all of the benefits from limting car use, like strengthening the economy, are true, then why has the world not caught on to this idea and helped it flourish. This essay has shown the benefits of limiting car use, but it is up to you to make a difference.    