vehicles, health & global warming

Though efforts to curb vehicle pollution have made an impact, much more remains to be done. Consider:

• Even if every vehicle on the road in 2009 met federal Tier 2 emission standards, the U.S. vehicle fleet would still emit 500,000 tons of smog-forming pollution every year.
• In 2020, when more than 75 percent of vehicles on the road will meet Tier 2 emission standards, passenger vehicles will still generate emissions that represent a cancer risk equivalent to 350,000 tons of benzene released into the atmosphere every year.
• Only four nations in the world produce more heat-trapping carbon dioxide than the U.S. vehicle fleet. This pollution is expected to cause worse smog, an increase in asthma-triggering pollens and molds, and a substantial rise in the number of heat-related illnesses and deaths.
• Diesel-powered vehicles account for nearly half of all nitrogen oxides and more than two-thirds of all particulate matter (soot) produced by the U.S. transportation sector. Soot irritates the eyes and nose and aggravates respiratory problems including asthma, which afflicts 13 million Americans.

This section offers detailed information on the current and projected consequences of vehicle pollution on public health and global warming, and what that might mean for you, your family, and the planet.