“To convey from one place to another…” is how the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines transportation (761). For as long as humans have existed on Earth, transportation has been necessary in one form or another. Be it riding a large mammal or cruising at an altitude of 32,000 feet, people have been moving for generations. Throughout the years, advancements in transportation have been consistent. The invention of the wheel was substantial in progressing methods of agriculture and exploration. The steam engine did wonders for industry. And the glorious automobile arrived into the welcoming hands of hard working Americans. But, think for a moment, if there were no cars. The planet would be in better condition if automobiles did not exist. People would experience a decrease in adverse health effects and the environment would not be facing as dire of a future as it currently is.
In 2009, data from the U.S. Department of Energy showed there were 828 vehicles for every 1000 people living in the United States. It also showed that in 1909, there were only 3.45 vehicles per 1000 people (3-5). This significant increase is largely due to high demand by Americans wanting the ease and flexibility of owning their own automobile. There are many benefits to owning a vehicle. Having the freedom to come and go according to one’s individual schedule seems more ideal than following a generalized public schedule and having to wait for others. Daily tasks are less complicated when using a car. Many average Americans might have extreme difficulty giving up their own cars for alternative methods of transportation. George, for example, is an average American who uses his vehicle daily. He drives to his job Monday through Friday. He dri...
... middle of paper ...
...makes decisions that collectively impact the world, and it is becoming increasingly important that people make different decisions. People should start acclimating to a world without automobiles, before the luxury of automobiles is forcibly taken away.
Works Cited
Mish, Frederick C. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 2004 edition: 767. Print.
Davis, Stacy C., Susan W. Diegel, and Robert G. Boundy. “Transportation Energy Data Book: Edition 30.” Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy. 3.5. Web.
Southern Methodist University. "Mental health providers should prescribe exercise more often for depression, anxiety, research suggests." Science Daily. 2010. Web.
Environmental Protection Agency. “Ozone and Your Health.” 2011. Web.
Glaeser, Edward. “Engines of Innovation.” Scientific American September 2011: 54. Print.
In Christopher Wells’ book Car Country: An Environmental History he starts by speaking about his experience over the years with automobiles. He describes how happy he was to own his first automobile. Mr. Wells goes into detail about the inconveniences of driving in towns where everything is fairly accessible, and the necessity of an automobile in major cities. Although Mr. Wells enjoyed his first car, his local surrounding helped shape the attitude he has towards motor vehicles to this day. Mr. Wells also argued that car dependence in America is connected with the landscape. Wells rejects the notion that America ‘s automobile landscape emerged as a byproduct of consumer’s desires for motor vehicles or as the result of conspiracies to eliminate
www.fueleconomy.gov: The official U.S. Government Source for Fuel Economy Information. U.S. Department of Energy, 5 Jan 2012. Web. 5 Jan 2012.
The impact of the automobile between 1900 through 1945 was immense. It paved the way for a future dependency on the automobile. To paint a better picture, imagine life without an automobile. Everyday life would be dull, cumbersome, and tedious. An individual's mobility would be very limited. Basically, the life without an automobile could not be fathomed. The importance of the automobile is often taken for granite. Society may not know what appreciate the impact of the automobile and effects it has created. The impact of the automobile had both positive and negative effects on America between 1900 through 1945. Automobile provided an outlet for individuals and spread the freedom of travel among all classes of people. It also helped to introduce rural dwellers to the aspects of urban life and vice versa. One of the negative effects was that automobiles helped to put of big decline in the use of railroads. Over the course of the paper, I will try to expose the huge impact of the automobile an early twentieth century life.
In the July 1997 issue of Commentary, James Q. Wilson challenges the consensus among academia’s finest regarding the automobile in his bold article, Cars and Their Enemies. Directed towards the general public, his article discredits many of the supposed negatives of the automobile raised by experts, proves that the personal car is thriving and will continue to thrive because it meets individual preference over other means of transportation, as well as presents solutions to the social costs of cars. Wilson emphasizes that no matter what is said and done in eliminating the social costs of the automobile, experts are not going to stop campaigning against it.
In the twentieth century, the introduction of the motor vehicle in the United States became not only noteworthy, but also vital in the development of modern American civilization. This technologically complex machine led citizens to vast future dependency on the invention. While mobility was suddenly not limited to alternative, more convoluted options such as railroad stations or bicycles, yet copiously amplified to aid convenience and expanded leisure opportunities. From auto-racing to redesigning infrastructure, motor vehicles allowed progression, digression, and essentially uttermost change to lifestyles of the American people.
What would this country be without the car, or any type of motor vehicle for that matter? The automobile has transformed the country and the world. The first car was manufactured in 1769 it was a steam powered engine that could go eight miles per hour (Dreyer). But everything escalated when Henery Ford figured out the trick to pushing out cars at a fast rate for the common man. It has created many opportunities; it has made new sports and has made getting from point A to B easier. As a result of the automobile, culture flourished, jobs became easier to come by, and the environment was positively and negatively impacted.
Over time, there have been several technological advancements that have shaped the world in which we live and are familiar with today, and one advancement, in particular, that has influenced American society significantly is the automobile. Since the automobile’s beginning, it has continuously been improved and modified pushing the rest of technology to keep up with its rapid pace of innovation. Americans have frequently taken advantage of the automobile’s many benefits, but what they often fail to realize is that the automobile has given American society more than just the luxury of driving. In fact, the automobile has influenced this nation and the people within it both historically and culturally
“The automobile has created a dependence, society couldn't live without automobiles because mass transit systems” (Negative Impact of the Automobile 5). Apart from creating a dependence on the automobile, traffic congestion, air pollution and fatal casualties increased with the increasing number of automobiles on the road.
In my area cars are a necessary evil. They are a status symbol to some people as a way of demonstrating wealth by driving an expensive vehicle. Cars are necessary to travel to work, the grocery store and to see family. Without a vehicle it is necessary to live closer to a metropolitan area that has public transportation.
The automobile has come to play a major role in our consumer society, which has, in turn, enabled the car to become a universal experience. As America's population moved out of the cities and into the suburbs, obtaining a driver's license and purchasing that first car became a right of passage for the majority of America's youth. Today nearly every adult has a driver's license and car to drive. This helps us understand why the car is the number one choice when we need to get from place to place.
“Table 4-23: Average Fuel Efficiency of U.S. Passenger Cars and Light Trucks”, Research and Innovative Technology Administration, N.p., 6 April 2011, n.d. .
Automobiles play an essential role in American society. As if being the major means of transportation was not impressive enough, automotives can be seen on T.V., in movies, in magazines, and can sometimes be indicative of a person’s wealth and social status. On average, Americans drive nearly 40 miles and drive for just over 50 minutes driving per person per day (http://www.bts.gov). That means a person spends roughly one-sixteenth of a day driving. It would make sense, then, to make such an essential part of society as efficient, cost effective, and clean as possible. However, that is not the case. As the years have passed cars have actually begun to move away from efficiency. Hawken writes, “[The automobile] design process has made cars ever heavier, more complex, and usually costlier. These are all unmistakable signs that automaking has beco...
Melosi, Martin V. “The Automobile Shapes the City.” Automobiles in American Life and Society. 2004-2010. Web. 26 November 2013.
The production of cars increased over time. The want for a car as well due to the technological advances of the car. Cars also have impacted society and the environment. Is it truly necessary for everyone to get a car? No because the more cars the more harm to the environment. We should go back to using the less common ways of transportation such as biking, walking, and taking the bus. By doing this the result would be a better and healthier environment. This is our world so we should be concerned and take care of it the best of our
The fast population growth rate of humans means that the necessity for transportation vehicles is also enormously increasing. Studies have shown that in 1999 the worldwide number of vehicles registered was 700 million. From this huge number of vehicles, the US has a large share, which includes 200 million cars and light trucks. The number of cars worldwide also grew three times faster