Mass transit better step than hybrids
Switching to hybrid cars to tackle the traffic and health issues
we face in Los Angeles, as suggested by Annie Tao
(“L.A. needs to pump up fuel alternatives,” Oct. 4),
slightly misses the mark as a real solution.
Compared to a conventional car, hybrids are indeed cleaner.
However, they still consume gasoline, a limited natural resource
that will be depleted in the future, and produce exhaust fumes that
contain carbon dioxide, a major component of greenhouse gases. And
as cars on the road, they will contribute to road traffic.
To truly address the issue of traffic congestion and air
quality, we need to steer away from the norm of driving solo and
shift toward alternatives, such as public transportation.
As the column points out, it is hard to use public
transportation in Los Angeles due to the lack of options that rival
the travel time of a car.
Promotion of transit, along with expansion of our rail, subway
and bus systems, is needed in order to provide alternatives to move
drivers off the road. With fewer cars, traffic and air pollution
will be reduced.
Tao points out that Los Angeles is known for setting trends.
Wouldn’t it be better for us to set the trend of moving away
from driving our own cars to utilizing cleaner and more
energy-efficient alternatives, such as public transit?
Christian Kroells
Third-year, chemistry