What are the environmental hazards caused by automobiles?
2 Answers
Engine-powered vehicles pose the following environmental hazards: 1. Harmful gas emissions from automobile exhaust: While burning gasoline for power, cars emit carbon monoxide, which damages the Earth's protective ozone layer. Without the ozone layer, global temperatures rise, sea levels increase, and land area diminishes. 2. Automobile exhaust also has toxic effects on plants: Secondary pollutants in exhaust, such as ozone and peroxyacetyl nitrate, can cause necrotic lesions and dry spots on plant leaves, while ethylene affects flowering and fruiting. Exhaust is particularly harmful to crops like sugar beets, spinach, tomatoes, and tobacco, leading to reduced yields along highways due to pollution. Methods to reduce automobile environmental pollution: 1. Promptly detect leaks. Leaks of lubricants and other fluids from vehicles significantly pollute the air, so daily inspections are necessary to identify and repair them immediately. 2. Prevent air conditioner leaks in vehicles. Conduct a thorough inspection of the vehicle's air conditioning system annually to prevent Freon leaks. Even during seasons when the air conditioner is not in use, occasionally turning it on helps maintain seals and prevent leaks. 3. Check the choke valve. A poorly installed choke valve is a major cause of automobile air pollution. If too loose, it can cause oil deficiency in the engine, making the car difficult to start; if too tight, it allows excessive gasoline into the engine, leading to the emission of unburned hydrocarbons from the exhaust pipe, polluting the air. 4. Avoid burning engine oil. Blue or blue-white smoke from the exhaust pipe indicates that the car is burning engine oil, which significantly pollutes the air and requires immediate repair.
As an ordinary person who enjoys driving, I think cars, while convenient, cause significant harm to the environment. The exhaust fumes from vehicles on the road every day directly pollute the air, leading to increasingly severe urban smog, which can cause coughing and wheezing when we breathe it in. The noise is also annoying, especially during traffic jams when the constant honking disrupts rest. Cars consume petroleum resources, and the extraction process damages natural ecosystems, such as deforestation and water pollution. Improper disposal of waste tires and batteries pollutes the land, rendering it unusable. Additionally, road construction takes up green spaces, reducing habitats for small animals. Now that I’m aware of these issues, I drive my private car less and take public transport or ride a bicycle more, which feels more environmentally friendly. The government should also promote electric vehicles to reduce emissions and make life fresher.
