One of the more common and popular arguments against cars is one that is increasingly recognized by those whom we might consider to be car-brained, but one that is not adequately solved within the Greater Cultural Context and is instead side-stepped to preserve our precious roadways. We are, of course, speaking of the negative environmental externalities that come with driving and the further construction of car based infrastructure. These negative externalities are certainly prevalent at a micro (localized) level and are of course becoming increasingly noticeable at a macro level, where the effects of climate change are becoming more notable, more obvious, and more terrifying.

We can start, of course, by discussing the localized pollution that we must endure. Large cities are regularly choked out by dense smog, and even drivers can barely stand to taste the pollution of the car in front of them. “This car in front of me is so smelly,” they will say, as they blast burning ass to the poor car behind them.

Smell and taste and sight are not the only senses impacted by the nasty pollutants expelled by cars - we are of course made to suffer the ridiculous noise pollution that comes with the automobile as well. A car is not quiet. A car is a loud vibrating hunk of shit and plastic that occupies our ears day in and out. It’s not until one escapes the cities that they can appreciate how silent the world can truly be, and how much loudness we learn to tune out.

A single automobile in the middle of any period of splendid isolation can feel like an intrusion.

So deviant and awful are some drivers that they go out of their way to amplify these pollutants. In barely-rural North America, it is not uncommon to see petulant men rolling coal down residential streets. Some of them rip their mufflers out in a bold and childish attempt to further boost their noise output. Some will strap loud sound systems to their vehicles and drive through sleeping neighbourhoods in the middle of the night.

For many drivers, being a complete asshole is almost the point.

The solution to the pollution we endure as a result of driving cars as purported within the confines of the Greater Cultural Context is completely laughable: just make cars environmentally friendly!

The idea of green-washing the automobile seems like a sick joke, and yet it seems to have taken a hold in peoples minds. This is no surprise - we live in a world that glorifies cars, and people would rather just believe that these cars are becoming environmentally friendly rather than challenge the idea that trillions of tonnes of asphalt could, possibly, not be great for the environment and the ecosystems around.

However, the idea of the electric vehicle is for the benefit of the car companies, and not for the benefits of us. How can we trust them when they say they’re “cutting emissions”? Volkswagen lied about their emissions tests. Tesla has been promising self-driving cars are just around the corner, but a decade and a billion dollars later, these cars are still subjecting people to the misery of their daily commute. We’ve pumped these new cars (and every other fucking thing our lives) so full of irreparable microchips that can barely last a year of sustained use, and they just end up in some dump in the Global South so some impoverished person can try to extract what copper he can from it.

There is no way to make a car environmentally friendly when it requires a vast network of constantly cracking asphalt just to maintain it. We can band-aid the issue by reducing emissions, but ultimately we need to abandon them in favor of actual favorable solutions - bikes and trains, anyone?

For a small glimmer of hope, we can point to the beginning of the pandemic. By having everyone staying at home, and avoiding driving, suddenly there was a marked improvement in air quality. By opting to work from home, or biking to work, you can very easily be a piece of that change.