If we study the complete history of transportation, we will get to see that the invention of the automotive industry has brought in the maximum positive as well as negative effects on the environment. The more cars became accepted in society, the more it started changing the lifestyle of people, across the globe. There is no doubt in the fact that the automotive industry has introduced us with the luxury of traveling, but, at the same time it had also harmed the environment to a point that now it is a global concern for all. So, here is the discussion regarding environmental affects due to the automotive industry.

The Major Ways In Which The Automotive Industry Is Affecting Environment –

1. Climatic Change:

Cars and vehicles are majorly responsible for the buildup of green house gas in the atmosphere. This happens when fossil fuels are being burnt by various vehicles and carbon dioxide (CO₂) is released. The gradual increase of carbon dioxide traps atmospheric heat, resulting in climatic changes. According to environment experts, cars are the culprits for the maximum release of greenhouse gas in the United States and other parts of the world.

2. The Issue Of Smog:

Smog is a hazardous weather condition where city visibility is reduced due to the emission of gas by vehicles and car pollution. As per record, in 1948, smog had taken the lives of twenty people in Donora, Pennsylvania, along with making 6,000 others physically sick. Though, industrial activities are equally responsible for the creation of smog, it can’t surpass the contribution of automotive industry.

3. Vehicle Fluid:

The automotive industry make use of various fluids for various parts of a vehicle to function properly. Whether it is air-conditioning refrigerant, transmission, windshield- wiper, antifreeze, brake or gasoline; there are some particular fluid that are required to keep these auto-parts working. But what automotive industries fail to understand is that these fluids do more harm to society, waterways and human beings when they are not disposed properly or starts leaking for some reason. Vehicle fluid is not only toxic in nature but it becomes more contaminated when it is exposed to oxygen and heat while an engine runs.

4. Coating And Painting:

While manufacturing a vehicle, it is mandatory that the process of painting and coating will be carried out. And according to experts this process hampers the environment in large scale. Harmful particles such as hexavalent chromium, copper and nickel are being released into the atmosphere. The sad fact is that, despite advancement in paints and coating techniques, the percentage in which these particles are being let loosed has not seen any reduction.

5. Weight Of Automobiles:

The weight of a vehicle is also an important point to note when it comes to the affects that the automotive industry is incurring on the environment. The mass of an automobile is directly related to the harms it can offer to its surroundings. This is so because heavier the four-wheeler or the two-wheeler is, more resistance and break pressure it will require, as a result of which larger tire particles and brake rubbishes are set free on the surrounding soil and roads.

6. Automobile Batteries:

Since automobile batteries are prepared out of lead-acid, a manufacturer can easily extract 93% of leads from waste vehicles and recycle it for fresh units. But when this recycle is not done properly by garage or auto repair shops and mechanics, more than 55,000 tons of lead gets unrestricted to the environment, which later adds on to air and soil pollution.

Thus, it can be concluded that though the automotive industry has brought in a massive change to the manner people use to travel from one place to the other, it had also affected the same society with its disadvantages. Taken individually, the issues might seem negligible but when all the concerns are being summed up, then it becomes clear that these problems can’t be left unattended.