Private Cars as Environmental Health Hazards: The Critical Need for Public Transit in the Era of Climate Change

Abstract

Private motor vehicles since the beginning of the 20th century have grown exponentially in number and embody many of the contradictions of global capitalism While they have allowed many people ready mobility, they come with a heavy costs on numerous fronts. This chapter focuses on the environmental health hazards of private cars: (1) air pollution, (2) greenhouse gas emissions, (3) accidents that result in injuries and fatalities, and (4) mental health consequences. They also contribute to congestion, urban sprawl, and the encroachment of farmlands essential to human livelihood. Ultimately, for the sake of both the ecological and human body, it is essential that humanity transcend the cultur..