Source: Union of Concerned Scientists

Excerpt:

Vehicles emit 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases each year, resulting in the transportation sector being the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors. Conventional cars, trucks and buses also emit fine particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, all of which are associated with respiratory irritation, infection, and chronic disease. There is plentiful evidence that these pollutants increase the risk of childhood asthma, non-asthma respiratory symptoms, impaired lung function, and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. I see the direct impact that this cocktail of pollutants has on the increasing severity of respiratory conditions in patients, all while knowing that this same source of pollution is destroying the health of the planet.

But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can transform the way we get around, building a future that brings clean air and clear lungs with it.

Read more: Investing in Public Transit Is Investing in Public Health