SlideShare #1 of 4 due for Organizational Communication CTAC 354. Crafted by Madeleine Cherney for Carrie Madison's class Tues/Thurs 9:30-10:45 a.m.

1. AUTOMOBILES AFFECTING
CLIMATE CHANGE
By: Madeleine Cherney

2. Background
Automobiles have been
causing pollution since
their creation in the late
1800s.

3. Main Articles Used
1. Car Emissions and Global Warming from Union of Concerned Scientists
2. Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution from Union of Concerned Scientists
These articles discuss how automobiles have in general, negatively affected the
environment causing climate change/global warming. There is no date written on
these articles. However, the updated material shows that they are recent.

4. Concept/Theory:
Global Warming/Climate Change
According to the Miller textbook chapter number one, the definition
of Climate Change is: “The upward shift in overall global temperature,
rising sea levels, and extreme weather events.”

5. The Greenhouse Effect
“ … the greenhouse effect and is
natural and necessary to support life on
Earth. However, the buildup of
greenhouse gases can change Earth’s
climate and result in dangerous effects to
human health and welfare and to
ecosystems.” (Miller text pg. 7)

6. Why Automobiles Add to the Buildup of
Greenhouse Gases
Around the world, a huge percentage of greenhouse gases come from cars. 19
pounds per gallon of heat-trapping emissions comes right out of a car’s tailpipe.

7. Ways Automobiles Affect Climate Change
Almost 1/5 of the pollution in the United States alone comes from cars and trucks
Every gallon of gas = around 24 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases

8. Ways Automobiles Affect Climate Change
Continued
Elements harmful to the environment emitted from automobiles:
Particulate matter (PM)
Hydrocarbons (HC)
Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
Carbon monoxide (CO)
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Hazardous air pollutants (toxics)
Greenhouse gases

9. Car Companies: Green or Mean
According to infoplease.com, Least and Most Polluting Cars 2014:
 Mercedes-Benz
Most “green” vehicle is the Mercedes-Benz Smart Electric Drive Convertible/Coupe
 Cadillac
Most polluting car is the Cadillac Escalade ESV
There is not one specific car company that is worse for the environment than another.
However, some companies make it a higher priority to create more eco-friendly
automobiles.

10. Have Automobiles Been Causing Less Pollution?
Overall, automobiles nowadays are being made with a more eco-friendly ideal in mind. In
other words, companies now know that global warming is an issue that is greatly influenced
by automobiles.

11. How Automobiles are One of the Worst Polluters
“Cars and trucks produce air pollution throughout their life, including
pollution emitted during vehicle operation, refueling, manufacturing,
and disposal. Additional emissions are associated with the refining and
distribution of vehicle fuel.” (Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution paragraph
3)

12. Where The Effects of Climate Change from
Automobiles is Felt
Climate change is something that is happening worldwide.
Some main effects of climate change:
 Glaciers have shrunk
 Ice on rivers and lakes is breaking up earlier
 Plant and animal ranges have shifted
 Trees are flowering sooner
 Loss of sea ice
 Hastened sea level rise
 Longer, more intense heat waves

13. Are There Any Solutions to
Automobiles Causing Climate
Change?
The answer to this question is YES!

14. Looking Forward
Unless there is an extreme reverse in the entire automobile industry,
cars will continue to be a leading cause of climate change/global
warming. For now, people can do simple things to help such as shutting
their engine off when they are sitting in the car; anything that burns less
gasoline, causing greenhouse gases to be emitted, is helpful for the
environment.
How can you help decrease car emissions?

15. Looking Forward Continued
“Major investors have warned the automotive industry it needs to
accelerate its readiness for a low-carbon world if it is to retain their
support and prosper.
Vehicle makers must put climate change specialists on their boards,
engage better with policy-makers, and invest more heavily in low-
emission cars, says a network of 250 global investors with assets of
more than $24tn (£20tn).” (Investors warn car industry over climate
change, paragraph 3)

16. Helping to Halt Global Warming
Buying an automobile which is “fuel-
efficient” will lesson the impact that your
car has on the environment. The impact is
lessened because a “fuel-efficient” car
uses less gas which in turn pumps less
toxic fumes into the air causing global
warming.
Fuel-Efficient Toyota Prius

17. Helping to Halt Global Warming Continued
Another way to help the environment is to
use fuels that are more refined than the
average gasoline such as fuels made from
cellulosic biofuels. Any fuel that produces
fewer emissions is more environmentally-
friendly, and does not add to global warming
significantly.

18. Helping to Halt Global Warming Continued
“Electric cars and trucks use
electricity as fuel, producing fewer
emissions than their conventional
counterparts. When the electricity
comes from renewable sources, all-
electric vehicles produce zero
emissions to drive.” (Car Emissions
and Global Warming, paragraph 7)
Electric Car: Chevrolet Bolt

19. Can Humans and the
Automotive Industry Really
Reverse Climate Change?
The Miller text says that there is
debate about whether or not
organizations should go to the extent
of classifying themselves as “green
companies.” Could doing this truly
reverse climate change? However,
the textbook encourages
organizations to be as friendly to the
environment as they possibly can.
(Miller text pg. 8)

20. Final Questions and Thoughts for Solutions
Questions:
 What are the best strategies to educate the public on automobiles affecting climate change?
 When and if automobiles are expected to all be made in a way that does not produce pollution?
 Regarding climate change itself, when are scientists predicting that it gets worse or better?
Thoughts for Solutions:
 Perhaps one thing that everyone could do as a solution to automobiles negatively affecting climate
change, is to research the topic so that awareness can be spread.
 If more awareness was spread about this topic, then people would be more conscious about the kind of
car that they buy or the kind of fuel they use for their cars.
 People could practice accelerating slowly, this decreases polluting fumes coming from the automobile’s
tailpipe.

21. Works Cited
 Car Emissions and Global Warming. (n.d.). In Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved from
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/car-emissions-and-global-warming#.WLsnhjsrLIU
 Cars, Trucks, and Air Pollution. (n.d.). In Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved from http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-
vehicles/vehicles-air-pollution-and-human-health/cars-trucks-air-pollution#.WMhDhTsrK00
 Consequences of Climate Change. (n.d.). In Global Climate Change. Retrieved from https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/
 Least and Most Polluting Cars, 2014. (2017). In Infoplease. Retrieved from
http://www.infoplease.com/world/transportation/greenest-meanest-cars.html
 Macalister, T. (2016, October 12). Investors Warn Car Industry Over Climate Change. In The Guardian. Retrieved from
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/12/investors-warn-car-industry-over-climate-change
 Miller, K. (2015). Organizational Communication Approaches and Processes (Seventh ed., pp. 7-8). Stamford, CT:
Cengage Learning.