The internal combustion engine has been both a tremendous boon and a terrible bane for the human inhabitants of Planet Earth. Automobiles have opened a wide world of travel, but the adverse effects of car pollution on the global environment are reaching a critical level. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that automobiles account for more than half of the air pollution in the United States, according to “Green Living” by National Geographic. Not only are automobiles polluting the air with emissions from internal combustion, cars also need various fluids such as lubricants and anti-freeze that can leak and further damage the environment. Environmentalists are particularly concerned about the different type of gases emitted by cars that harm the atmosphere. The EPA reports on the level and effects of these emissions. Chief among these emissions is carbon dioxide, known as a “greenhouse gas” that traps heat in Earth’s atmosphere. In addition, hydrocarbons result from burning fossil fuel, along with volatile organic compounds such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen. The final worrisome component of auto emissions is particulate matter, tiny bits of metal and soot. This toxic combination has several adverse effects on the global environment. First, car emissions are a prime source of gases that contribute to global warming. National Geographic’s Green Living section defines global warming as a condition caused by what’s known as the “greenhouse effect.” Just like a greenhouse collects light and heat to help plants grow, car emissions include gases that rise into the upper atmosphere, trapping the sun’s radiation closer to Earth’s surface instead of letting it return to space. The greenhouse effect can be caused by both natural and human happenings, but scientific records kept since the dawn of the Industrial age have shown that human’s use of fossil fuels has intensified the phenomenon. However, car emissions appear to have little effect on the depletion of the Earth’s ozone layer, which protects the planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Ozone depletion appears to be caused by other types of chlorine- and bromine-heavy pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons from air conditioners and refrigeration. Second, some of pollutants and particles from car emissions don’t dissipate into the air, but instead deposit on surface water and soil, where they enter the food chain. One familiar example involves oxides of nitrogen and sulfur, two Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society