Question

As technology increases, the fuel efficiency of cars and trucks also increases. However, even though modern automobiles pollute less than older models, the overall rate of pollution due to cars and trucks has increased. How can this apparent contradiction occur? Think about things such as the number of miles driven, and the average number of drivers and cars on the road.

Answer 1

The pollution increases nowadays compared to older times because of the following reasons

1. Increase in vehicles and drivers- There is an increase in the number of vehicles in the road leads to an increase in carbon dioxide and other harmful gases in the atmosphere. But in earlier no of vehicles are very low but highly polluting. So overall increase in vehicles leads to high pollution rate even though modern vehicles are less polluting.

2. Long distance travelling efficiency-Old vehicles only travel to limited distance otherwise radiator become heated. But modern vehicles are highly fuel-efficient and we can travel a long distance, this leads to an increase in fuel consumption and production of polluting gases. In older vehicles, limited distance travel will not need much fuel so polluting gases producing is also less.

3. Less usage of public transport system-At earlier time people cannot afford to buy individual vehicles so they use public transport but nowadays people have their own vehicles so they use their vehicles in short distance travels and according to their convenience. Even a single person like to travel in a car instead of using public transport. This lead to an overall increase in vehicles and pollution.