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Sprawl – Air Pollution Links
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- Road focused transportation hurts the environment, water quality, and air quality
- Road focus and cars are largest source of air pollution
- Urban sprawl pollutes water and air, and destroys farmland
- Urban sprawl drastically increases air pollution and smog
- Urban sprawl increases carbon emissions
Sprawl – Air Pollution LinksSprawl contributes to massive air and water pollutionNored, 11-(Ashley, “Urban sprawl: a contributing factor to increased vehicle miles travelled and greenhouse gas emissions,” 2-3)//I.S. Suburban America relies heavily on cars for their transport, and this is strongly coupled with a reliance on petroleum. Historical evidence of oil dependence beginning in the mid-‐ 20th century is confirmed by Gonzalez, “between 1946 and 1953...U.S. gasoline usage went from 30 million gallons annually to 49 billion” (2006, p. 523). Rather than curb urban sprawl during the oil crisis of the 1970s, the U.S. responded with military and diplomatic force “to ensure the ample flow of petroleum” (Gonzalez, 2006, p. 516). Despite the oil crisis, automobile drivers consumed 7.1 million barrels of petroleum per day in 1970. Suburban sprawl patterns continued and in 2001, oil consumption increased to 10.1 million barrels per day (Gonzalez, 2006, p. 525). Americans are spending so much time on the road and in their cars that “each year, traffic congestion wastes more than 2 million gallons of fuel” (Hudnut, 2008, p. 75). Additionally, Calthorpe notes that America’s transportation industry “burns up 69% of the nation’s oil” (1993, p. 20). This kind of oil consumption is not without implications. In a 2008 study of transportation and the prevention of urban sprawl, Michael Maya states that, “the most egregious costs of sprawl include...severe air and water pollution and the loss of open green spaces” (2008, p. 2). The most pressing effect of sprawl is pollution due to vehicular emissions. The transportation sector is “showing the steepest increase in greenhouse gas emissions” as vehicles paint the landscapes, parking lots and garages of suburbia (Naess, 2006, p. 3) These emissions contribute to fossil fuel depletion and increased CO2 levels that play a role in climate change (Hudnut, 2008, p. 129). Carbon monoxide (CO2) is a green house gas that depletes the ozone layer, causing the sun’s rays to overheat the earth and result in disastrous climate phenomenon. The majority of “green house gases are generated Nored 2 by the burning of carbon-‐based fuels” leaving the car as the primary suspect (Hudnut, 2008, p. 132). Sprawl has resulted in the U.S. being the “highest global absolute and per capita emitter of...carbon dioxide,” with the transportation sector accounting for one third of all emissions (Gonzalez, 2006, p. 526). Calthorpe relates air quality to driving when he says that “air quality is directly related to the number of times a car is started,” and with 12 trips a day per each household, this is a significant number (1993, p. 47). Calculations from Naess indicate that cars emit 133 kilometers of CO2 per person compared to 67 kilometers for a bus (2006, p. 236). Each year we emit 7 billion tons of carbon with 14 billion tons estimated by 2050 (Hudnut, 2008, p. 130). Even the manufacturing and disposal of vehicles emit CO2. From its birth to its death, a car emits a total of 66 tons of carbon dioxide, creating serious problems for the ozone (Kay, 1997, p. 93). A 13-‐year study completed in 2006 from the College of Architecture at Georgia Institute of Technology found that in the U.S., “the most sprawling cities...experienced over 60% more high ozone days than the most compact cities” (Stone, 2006, p. 689). This study also supported that “lower density patterns of development are associated with a greater magnitude of vehicle emissions” (Stone, 2006, p. 689). Several sprawling cities include Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Cincinnati and Atlanta. Atlanta is “one of the nation’s worst violators of...ground-‐level ozone, with most...caused by motor vehicle emissions” (Duany, 2000, p. 89). Notorious and daunting is the smog that surrounds cities such as Los Angeles and Denver. Regional alerts are given for “high smog” days but suburbanites continue to drive. The home and car are interdependent in suburbia—Americans own 604 automobiles per 1,000 people (Gonzalez, 2006, p. 527). Walking or biking are simply not options due to safety, lack of direct access and geographic separation. Low-‐density developments and dispersed neighborhoods that “do not support public transportation” cause the suburbanite of any age to be automobile reliant (Maya, 2008, p. 2). Excluding the children, poor and elderly, owning a car is the only mode of transportation. Since grocery stores, offices and elementary schools are not easily accessible by foot in suburbia, “residents of sprawling areas drive greater distances ” than their more densely packed city counterparts found Maya (2008, p. 3). Increased driving results in greater vehicular pollution and green house gas (GHG) emissions. Road focused transportation hurts the environment, water quality, and air qualityPollard, 4’ – Senior Attorney and Director, Land and Community Program at Southern Environmental Law Center (Trip, “Article: Follow the money: transportation investments for smarter growth,” Temple Environmental Law & Technology Journal, Spring, 2004, 22 Temp. Envtl. L. & Tech. J. 155)//AWV Extensive road building and motor vehicle use, as well as the sprawl spurred by current transportation approaches, are linked to virtually every pressing environmental problem and to serious public health concerns. One of the most dramatic impacts of current development and transportation patterns is the rapid loss of open space. Over 25 million acres were developed nationwide between 1982 and 1997, and the rate of land consumption is accelerating. n16 This phenomenal growth has caused a massive loss of productive farmland and forests, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and other precious resources. Rapid growth spurred by transportation investments also impacts both water quality and quantity. Roads, parking lots, and buildings are replacing millions of acres of forests, farms, and wetlands that would otherwise filter water. The rise in the amount of impervious surfaces increases the volume of pollutant runoff, increases erosion, and slows groundwater replenishment, thus depleting water supplies. n17 In addition, land bulldozed for roads and development is a major source of silt in rivers and streams, and road use and maintenance introduces herbicides, pesticides, antifreeze, and other pollutants into the water. n18 Road-centered transportation investment policies have had severe air pollution impacts as well. Motor vehicles are a major source of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and smog-causing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds; trucks, diesel buses, and road building equipment also emit soot, particulate matter, and other pollutants. Among other things, these emissions can cause premature death, lung tissue damage, asthma attacks, visibility impairment, and forest damage. The American Lung Association estimates that 137 million Americans live in areas violating ozone health standards. n19 The Clean Air Act and technological advances have sharply curtailed the amount of pollution released per mile from driving; however, this progress has been offset by the dramatic increase in the amount of miles driven. n20 [*162] Vehicle emissions also are a major source of greenhouse gases, which could have catastrophic environmental, health, and economic impacts by causing global climate change. The average vehicle emits more than one pound of carbon dioxide per mile, n21 and transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States. n22 There is growing evidence linking automobile dependence and sprawling settlement patterns to a number of other serious public health problems. n23 The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that by increasing the distances between activities, and thereby discouraging walking, sprawl increases obesity. n24 Physical inactivity also contributes significantly to health problems such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer. Moreover, traffic crashes claimed the lives of almost 43,000 people annually in recent years, and more sprawling metropolitan areas tend to have higher rates of traffic fatalities. n25 Road focus and cars are largest source of air pollutionWCN 6 (“CAR CULTURE AND THE LANDSCAPE OF SUBTRACTION” http://www.worldcarfree.net/resources/freesources/CarCult.htm) The environmental problem most apparent to the public is air pollution. Within urban areas, cars are the single largest source of air pollution, and create 13% of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions, 28% of Chlorofluorocarbons, and between 30-40% of nitrogen oxides, the primary chemical responsible for acid rain, according to the Marland Energy Magazine in 1983. The E.P.A. reports that automobile air conditioners are the single largest source of ozone depleting chemical. Despite the fact that these days cars produce 1/2 as much carbon monoxide as they did twenty years ago, this has only had beneficial results within the purlieus of urban smog quantity. At the same time, the amount of carbon dioxide released from cars is the same and will always be the same, for it is the inevitable byproduct of fossil fuel consumption. The invisible and odorless CO2 cannot be reduced no matter the filter or cat. converter on the newest, most aerodynamic car, and it is this insidious CO2 gas which is contributing greatly to the greenhouse effect. (22) Air pollution also accelerates the deterioration of a city's infrastructure and buildings, especially those of historic value. Buildings in many cities have been severely discolored due to polluted air, and those lying on busy streets and thoroughfares need facade renovation much more frequently than those on calmer streets. Some structures even experience structural damage due to heavy, rumbling trucks. Cleopatra’s Needle, an Egyptian obelisk in New York’s Central Park, a weekday speedway, has degenerated more in the 35 years since its been in Manhattan, than in the previous 3500 years in the harsh desert climate of Egypt. Urban sprawl pollutes water and air, and destroys farmlandNored, 11-(Ashley, “Urban sprawl: a contributing factor to increased vehicle miles travelled and greenhouse gas emissions,” 1)//I.S. The automobile, an iconic image of American freedom and mobility transports its proud citizens from suburb to suburb. Is this freedom when we are stuck behind the wheel, inhaling polluted air and witnessing sprawl being built on our way to work? “The U.S. is home to the most sprawled urban areas on the globe” (Gonzalez, 2005, p. 345). Urban sprawl is defined as “new development on the fringes of existing urban and suburban areas”, characterized by low-‐density neighborhoods and a strong reliance on automobiles (Cafaro, 2009, p. 293). Brian Stone Jr. also describes suburbs as comprised of four distinct parts: “low density development, segregation of distinct land use types, growth in the absence of definable centers, and a lack of physical connectivity between new areas of growth” (2006, p. 690). Since the late 19th century, “the landscape in the United States has come under considerable alteration through the rapid expansion of housing developments,” paved roads and vehicle ownership (Dolney, 2009, p. 52). As urban boundaries grow and suburban sprawl increases, water and air pollution become a concern, as demonstrated by Cafaro, “sprawl development destroys 2.2 million acres of wild and agricultural lands each year; over 1300 plant and animals species remain on the endangered species list; and U.S. carbon emission continue to rise” (2009, p. 293). The implications of urban sprawl auto-‐reliant America are questioned. Urban sprawl drastically increases air pollution and smogClean Water Action Council, 2002 – Wisconsin environmental organization (N/A, “Land Use & Urban Sprawl,” Clean Water Action Council, 2002, http://www.cwac.net/landuse/index.html)//AX “4. Increased Air Pollution --- Sprawl increases car and truck traffic, leading to major increases in air pollution and smog. Vehicles are the #1 cause of air pollution in many urban areas, and a threat to public and wildlife health. 5. Increased Water Use and Pollution --- Sprawl increases air pollution, which falls out to become water pollution. In addition, urban activities create water pollution directly, through land run-off of construction site erosion, fuel spills, oil leaks, paint spills, lawn chemicals, pet wastes, etc. Sprawled, low-density development produces more than its share of this runoff. [See Non-Point Pollution] In addition, more water is consumed for lawn watering and other landscape activities, straining local water supply systems. 6. Increased Energy Consumption --- At a time when we desperately need to reduce our energy use, sprawled developments increase our energy consumption per person, for increased gasoline, home heating, and electricity use.” Urban sprawl increases carbon emissionsSuzuki, 2008 – environmentalist (David, “Discourage Urban Sprawl,” The David Suzuki Foundation, 2008, http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-can-do/reduce-your-carbon-footprint/discourage-urban-sprawl/ ) //AX “Canadians must really like each other. Although we live in one of the world's largest countries with an endless horizon of space, we choose to live right next to each other in our cities. Over 80% of us now live in urban areas. As our cities grow bigger, urban sprawl is beginning to affect our quality of life. The most obvious problem is that sprawl leads to a car-dependent culture—and driving is stressful for drivers and for nature. More traffic, more carbon emissions, more smog! But sprawl isn't inevitable. It is often the result of poor planning and short-sightedness.” Directory: files files -> Answer True False 2 points Question 2 files -> Integer programming and game theory files -> 4 Integer Programming files -> Bpa vehicle Window Repair Scenario #1 task: Procure vehicle window relacement. Objective files -> Pop Warner History files -> North Carolina Inclusion Initiative Mapping Where Children with ieps are Being Served Purpose files -> Fall 2013 Spring 2014 Program Data: Standard 1 Exhibit 4d files -> Hanban – asia society confucius classrooms network 2010 request for proposal files -> Northern England’s set-jetting locations Download 0.91 Mb. Share with your friends:
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