Natalie S. Jeffery
Professor Jarrett
Composition 1
8 October 2015
Human vs. Environment
It is my belief that we as humans do have a lot of control over our environment. Every decision that we make affects it some way. The cars that we choose to drive is just one of the many ways that humans affect our environment on a daily basis. Even the simplest choices that we can make in life, like recycling, can make a huge impact in the future of our environment. Until you really stop and think about just how big our environment actually is, then you probably would not ever realize just how important it is to us as humans and just how much we do affect it.
The Philosophy of environmental protection analysis issues should involve examination of four topics: limits of the environment to absorb human impact without deleterious change; need for change in human behavior to reduce or avoid adverse environmental impact; limits on the authority and jurisdiction of civil government; and need for civil governmental action toward environmental preservation (Staff Writers 2015). The Civil Government is used to protect our environment from humans as well as our property from the actions of others that may be trying to cause harm or destruction to it, but they are not authorized to do anything about the misuse of the environment. I personally think this is hogwash and we as Americans deserve a government that should be able to protect our environment from the people who are intentionally destroying it at all times. Our Environment can only process so much of what we as Humans throw at it. If we do not change our ways, it will not be very long before not only will the human race feel the multitude of the effects but so will our wildlife and nature.
The Hybrid car has been found to be a very beneficial and crucial development for our environment. Research has shown that standard cars release a significant amount of oil and gasoline products which release greater amounts of pollution into the air. This air is also thought to be a contributing factor to cancer and lung diseases. This really hit home with me considering I have very special friends and family members who have died or are dying from cancer. After finding this out, I really did some hard core researching other possible contributions that pollution from oil and gasoline products harming our environment. I found that air pollution also causes acidic rain which is very harsh on plants and crops (Staff Writers 2015). Hybrid cars also cut down on the amount of oil and gasoline products that are burned which in return produces less amounts carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide (Nelson 2010). A Hybrid car is a great example of how even the smallest change can make a big effect in our environment.
Another upgrade that Hybrid cars have made is using nickel batteries instead of lead-acid batteries (Nelson 2010). I think that scientist are coming up with very smart and environmental-safe upgrades. I only wish they could come up with more. Another benefit of using less gasoline would be that we will slow down the drilling, because using less will change the need for supply and demand. Due to Hybrids running on partial gas and partial electric the gas conservation is so high that the once you break down the cost per gallon it averages out to be as low 75 cents a gallon, which has not been seen in over 30 plus years (phys****). According to one study it is said that the Hybrid car conserves enough fuel that it would save the United States nearly two million barrels of oil on a daily basis (phys****). If this study is true then we could become a lot more self-sustaining as a country and not have to rely on another country for our own needs to survive. Which would ultimately help our county as a whole. The Hybrid car is the quietest vehicle on the road. Believe it or not, when the Hybrid car is stopped the engine shuts off and it runs on battery power. Therefore, it is completely silent and you will never even know that it is running; unlike big diesel trucks that are constantly making a lot of noise, even if you are at a complete stop.
In this day and time the world has become more about safety of the passengers in vehicles. Hybrid cars come with a new safety features that your standard vehicles do not have regenerative braking, which is the changing of kinetic energy into electricity for the battery. I believe this is a very valuable safety feature in its self because it will slow down the wear and tear of the brakes on normal vehicles, thus saving you money on continuous replacement of brake pads and rotors. Therefore, technology is advancing daily with new developments coming out each year in cars, more air bags, more sensors, etc. All these things are becoming ways to help make our world a safer environment for us humans to live in. Every time a wreck is avoided a potential oil, gas or antifreeze spill is also avoided which stops potentially harmful chemicals into the ground and air.
While doing the research for this paper, I did discover that the Hybrid cars do cost more than standard cars, but when you take into account all the perks of driving a Hybrid the long term savings offset the upfront costs. I have also discovered that Hybrid cars also hold their value very well. Some of insurance companies will offer discounts to those people whom drive fuel efficient vehicles. Upon speaking with my parents and several family members about this paper, I also discovered that on your tax returns that you are asked about purchases of fuel efficient vehicles. You are also given a tax credit for any type of Energy Efficient Appliances that you may purchase throughout the year. These few points alone should be enough to make people want to take a step towards helping change our environment, or Going Green, as many people refer to it now days.

Works Cited
Staff Writers. “Views on Environmental Protection.” Avantrex.com Avantrex. Web. 01 October 2015.
Staff Writers. “Environmental Advantages of Hybrid/Electric Cars” LessCars.org Less Cars. Web. 03 October 2015.
Nelson, Caterina. “What Makes Hybrid Cars Better for the Environment?” Livestrong.com. Livestrong. 04 August 2010. Web. 03 October 2015.
E/The Environmental Magazine. “Earth Talk: Are Hybrid Cars Really Better for the Environment?” phys.org. The Environmental Magazine. 30 March 2009. Web. 03 October 2015.