A Response to Wired.com’s Article “Germany Has Proven The Modern Automobile Must Die”
While studying for last week’s Current Events quiz, one particular article stuck out underneath my Google search pertaining to the matter. The original headline read, “To Confront Climate Change, The Modern Automobile Must Die.” Especially considering I was riding a bus at the time, the headline was shocking. It wasn’t until a week later, though, that I looked deeper into the article. The main subject of the article was new scientific research from Germany proving that modern modes of transportation are the largest emission of carbon dioxide. According to Heinrich Strößenreuther, a German mobility scientist, to meet German emission targets, half of all German car owners and users would have to switch to biking, ride sharing, or taking public transportation. This was alarming to me, so I did a bit my own research. In 2016, the total number of registered vehicles in Germany was 45,071,209. Since half of car users would have to switch to a different mode of transportation, at least 22