The effects of traffic on the environment

Vehicles keep the world in motion. According to CarsGuide, there are an estimated 1.4 billion cars on the road across the globe.

While cars and trucks are necessary to move people and products, all of those vehicles contribute to some less-than-desirable side effects, including congestion, noise and various chemicals being funneled into the atmosphere. Since most people drive their vehicles on a daily basis, it is easy to overlook how cars and trucks affect the environment. Despite ongoing best efforts to make vehicles more eco-friendly, all those drivers and the inevitable traffic that comes from so many vehicles being on the road at once continues to have a significant effect on the environment.

· Wastes fuel: Getting caught in a traffic jam tests a person's patience and wastes fuel. According to Germany's technical inspection agency TÜV Süd, idling a car in traffic burns one liter of fuel (0.264 gallons) an hour. Higher fuel consumption puts more CO2 into the atmosphere.

· Affects lung health: Nitrogen oxides contribute to the reddish-brown color of smog. At high concentrations, these substances are highly toxic and can cause serious lung damage.

· Contributes to acid rain: Sulfur dioxide in car exhaust contributes to acid rain, which is any form of precipitation that contains nitric and sulfuric acids. The pollutants in car exhaust react with water, oxygen and other substances in the environment to produce acid rain. According to National Geographic, acid rain makes waters more acidic, which results in more aluminum absorption from soil. Acid rain runoff is carried into waterways, making waters more toxic to fish and aquatic animals.

· Leads to noise pollution: Traffic congestion in busy areas creates high noise levels that can affect mental well-being for humans and other animals. Wild animals may have to roam further to find quiet spots for dens and nesting.

· Creates dangerous situations for animals: Animals typically lose the battle against vehicles. Animals are struck and killed by vehicles at alarming rates. An average of 65,000 deer are struck each year by vehicles in New York State alone, according to the New York Department of Transportation. Conservation groups in Finland report 4,000 reindeer deaths occur each year from vehicles. An estimated 1.3 million animals die each year after being struck by vehicles in Brazil, according to Centro Brasileiro de Estudos em Ecologia de Estradas. Vehicular accidents are one of the largest causes of death for wildlife.

· Requires more oil production: Most cars still consume fuel, and the more vehicles on the road, the more fuel those cars consume. The production of oil has a number of side effects, not the least of which is the risk for oil spills or leaks from pipelines. The refineries that process crude oil also off-put various chemicals and contribute to air pollution.

Traffic adversely affects the environment in various ways. Recognition of those effects and efforts on the part of motorists to reduce the effects of their driving on the environment can make for a healthier planet.

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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