Should Cars Be More Fuel Efficient

Should Cars Be More Efficient?

Dennis Olson

Ashford University

Science

207

Dr. Sarker

April 18, 2011

Should Cars Be More Efficient?

Since the invention of the wheel, we have progressed from animal-drawn wagons to motor-powered vehicles that run on many different sources. Motorized automobiles have been in our history now for over one hundred years, whether powered by electricity, petroleum, ethanol, alcohol, biodiesel, natural gas, hydrogen, and vegetable oil. More recently since the oil crisis of the early 1970’s, countries have taken a closer look at how to improve fuel economy. With a heightened awareness of global warming during the Clinton Administration, the world has realized the importance of keeping pollution to a minimum to protect human health and the environment as a whole. Globally, political pressure is driving automakers to manufacture vehicles that provide high-rated passenger safety while increasing fuel efficiency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be more environmentally responsible.

Everywhere in the news, whether television, radio, or the internet, global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy are primary topics of concern. In the political arena, there are some politicians who believe global warming is an urgent matter and others that are more concerned with creating more jobs and profitability in the industrial field and not worried about the consequences of pollution in the short term. Politicians have always had the lobbyists with the most amount of money pulling them in their direction to get a new bill passed that will benefit their cause. Politics has always had a great influence on the transportation industry and since former President Clinton’s term in office, new regulations have been set for regulating fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions well into the future. The debate between each side of this issue has been the source of fuel and its effects of its emissions and the weight and size...