Highways, roads, streets; they are everywhere. No matter where you are or what part of town, these are always found nearby. Wherever roads are found, so are cars. People have been driving vehicles since the 1950's and over time, have had many positive effects on the world; but they have also had many negative effects. Luckily, the government has been helping to reduce car usage to save the world. Limiting car usage helps the world become a better place by decreasing pollution and keeping individuals active.

According to Elisabeth Rosenthal, cars make up "12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe" and can be responsible for "50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States," (In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars). These percentages show how much humans rely on cars, which is negatively impacting countries. Greenhouse gases are extremely awful for the environment, and if they are not decreased significantly, then the Earth could become a bad place for existance. In many places, government officials have been trying to limit the percentage coming from cars, which has helped greatly. Rosenthal claimed in a different article, The End of Car Culture, that "As of April 2013, the number of miles driven per person was...equal to where the country was in January 1995." The drop of this percentage has decreased the amount of greenhouse gases in the world. Many events all over the world have contributed to the lower percentage. For example, the Car-Free Day in Bogota, Columbia has been a huge hit since the mid 1990's and is continuing to grow each year (Andrew Selsky, Car-Free Day is Spinning Into a Big Hit in Bogota). This activity along with others will continue to bring the percentage down until it is hopefully extremely small.

Fast food and the lack of exercise has increased the number of obese people greatly. With a lack of transportation, there is a bigger opportunity for individuals to eat healthier and exercise more. Andrew Selsky, a writer from the Seattle Times published an article about Bogota's Car-Free Day. He confirmed that "It has seen the construction of 118 miles of bicycle paths," (Car-Free Day is Spinning Into a Big Hit in Bogota). The building of new sidewalks has increased the number of people using them each day. With more people walking and exercising, the rate of obesity should decrease dramatically. Not only is exercising important, but eating healthy is as well. According to Elisabeth Rosenthal, cities in Germany are now stating, "stores are placed a walk away, on a main street, rather than in malls along some distant highway," (In German Suburb, Life Goes On Without Cars). Since there can only be a limited number of shops in the city because they have to be close by, healthier options have been chosen more often, keeping people in shape. Not only do the individuals look healthier, but they feel better.

Saving the Earth and other people are two huge causes for limiting car usage. Keeping both alive and healthy can keep everyone happy and safe. Reducing car usage has great advantages and all humans should consider different methods of transportation; walking, bking, or even carpooling are great alternatives to help the world. It may not seem like it now, but the decision of limiting car usage can be a life or death situation.    