| You probably heard about the greatest | | | | leading producer of greenhouse gas emissions |
| environmental threat of our time: the global | | | | and other air pollutants, such as carbon |
| warming. Maybe you think that your personal | | | | monoxide, nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons. |
| attitude and household consumption don't have | | | | So your car also produces a lot of greenhouse |
| such a big effect on our beautiful blue | | | | gases. There are several ways you can limit |
| planet. You're right. But more people would | | | | this. For example, you can use public |
| change this situation. Now you think that | | | | transport or walk more often; you can choose |
| you've heard it for thousands of times, and | | | | a fuel-efficient model when buying a car; or |
| you know that other people think the same way | | | | you can drive more fuel-efficiently. But |
| and won't do anything to protect our planet. | | | | there is another great solution: carpooling. |
| It's not your business, there are the green | | | | |
| peace activists to solve this problem. But | | | | Do you have more cars in your family? All |
| what makes you think that others don't try to | | | | members of the family leave from home at a |
| change? Nowadays more and more articles and | | | | different time? Usually you go to work alone |
| films deal with this topic. So, let's imagine | | | | by car? Then, you are a main enemy of your |
| that you are interested in the global warming | | | | environment. If you can travel with your |
| problem, and you tend to take some steps. | | | | family, try to use one car. It may takes more |
| | | | time, but means less consumption of oil and |
| A thick layer of atmosphere, which grows | | | | you can also save money. If you don't have a |
| thinner further out into space, surrounds the | | | | family, or you really can't travel together |
| Earth. The atmosphere is consists mainly of | | | | with somebody, try to use carpool services. |
| Nitrogen. 21% of the atmosphere is Oxygen | | | | There are several sites helping you to find |
| while just around 1% of the atmosphere | | | | other people interested in carpooling. It |
| consists of other gases like Carbon Dioxide. | | | | doesn't matter where you live, carpooling has |
| When sunlight strikes the Earth, some of it | | | | become widespread all over the world. Leave |
| escapes back into the atmosphere, but the | | | | your car home and share a ride with somebody |
| presence of 'greenhouse gases' like carbon | | | | who travels to the same destination. Just try |
| dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane, prevents all | | | | to avoid empty seats in your car, carpool |
| the radiation from escaping out into space. | | | | whenever possible, and you already did a lot. |
| These gasses trap the sun's radiation, heat | | | | |
| and energy, and therefore, the Earth's | | | | Car exhaust fumes extremely contribute to |
| temperature remains warm. So, more and more | | | | global warming. The United States, as Al Gore |
| of the Earth's radiation gets trapped by the | | | | writes, is responsible for some 30 percent of |
| atmosphere and the Earth gradually gets | | | | greenhouse gas pollution, more "than South |
| warmer and warmer. It is believed that over | | | | America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, |
| the past century the Earth has grown warmer | | | | Japan, and Asia -- all put together." |
| by around 1 degree F. This is called global | | | | Embarrassingly. You can watch his new film, |
| warming, which occurs due to the greenhouse | | | | An Inconvenient Truth, which might have |
| effect. | | | | little effect on you if you are not ready |
| | | | yet. |
| Vehicles and their widespread use are the | | | | |