Although the world we live in is currently obsessed with the idea of Going Green, we continue to consume absorbent amounts of gas and oil, fully knowing the impact that it has on the environment.
Conserving energy and making a conscious effort to eliminate potential pollutants into our planet should be our number one priority. While we all enjoy the benefits of how quickly we can get from point A to point B, the damages caused by continuous use are tremendous. In the United States alone there is an estimated 256 million registered passenger cars with an average of 374 million gallons of gas being used on a daily basis, with over 9.9 billion metric tonnes (GtC) for global carbon emissions being released into the atmosphere. Unfortunately, even with the newfound obsession with electric vehicles, over 95% of our transportation is still powered by petroleum.
Although it is expected that by year 2025 over half of auto sales will be for vehicles fueled by an alternative energy source, gas-powered cars are still the most popular option, especially in larger, more developed cities. Countries such as China have seen an enormous jump in car sales since 2008, with over 18 million cars sold in 2013 alone. This year alone, United States's has sold over 18 million passenger vehicles, while last year's numbers were around 17 million.
As technologies become more advanced and the need for energy efficiency becomes more of a necessity, car manufactures will have to reinvent new ideas for fuel-efficient transportation. As consumers, we have the power in our hands to make better, more “green” choices that will not only effect our daily lives, but the lives of our future generations.