Motor Engine – The Boon, the Tragedy and the Remedies

Among all the countless inventions that man has ever made, the invention of motor engine has probably been the most significant having impacted our lives to such a great extent. Motor Vehicles, another significant invention based on the concept of motor engines proceeded to revolutionize travel by killing distance and time. If today we are in a position to say that “the world is a small place”, it is a credit solely to the invention of motor engines and vehicles based on it i.e. cars, motorcycles, airplanes and trains. Clearly, the world was never the same after these inventions but unfortunately that can also be said ironically.

As is the case with all human inventions, there is always a negative side. In case of motor engines, the negativity lies in the consumption of fossil fuel derivatives and the resulting pollution due to their combustion. A candle burning at both ends, the surge in the number of vehicles in the world and their consistent usage over the years has impacted our planet in two ways. Not only has it resulted in overexploitation of natural fossil fuel reserves but there has also been a horrendous impact of vehicle exhausts on the environment in the form of pollution. This aspect of motor vehicles was never significant until the impact of pollution and depletion of natural resources lead us to the brink of extreme natural phenomenon in the form of global warming, water shortage and other harmful conditions. Even then, today we can’t think of life without vehicles. Cars, motorcycles, buses, airplanes, trains and other forms of transport are an integral part of our lives.

All said and done, for mankind to survive on this planet, we need to take care of our natural resources and reduce pollution to avoid further harm to the environment. Unless we take some drastic measures to reduce this two-pronged attack, we could end up on the losing side and as you would know, there is a lot at stake. All measures to save the planet from destruction are focused on reducing all types of pollution especially vehicular and safeguarding non-renewable natural resources like fossil fuels.

As an answer to this crisis, many plans have been devised so far. Among them, use of alternative fuels and invention of green vehicles like hybrid and electric etc. have been the most prominent. While alternative fuels can prevent further exploitation of fossil fuels, green vehicles or non-polluting vehicles can help reduce the volumes of environmental pollution. Research is on and in full swing to perfect these options and present them as a viable solution to the existing problems but implementation might still take a few more years.

Until these options are perfected to replace the existing vehicles, the number of vehicles based on fossil fuels will continue to increase and so will the air pollution and other factors harmful to the environment. To minimize further harm, the common man can chip in and make a big difference.

As inhabitants of this planet, it is every man’s responsibility to do all he can to safeguard it. When it comes to reducing the pollution, we can certainly contribute to stall its harmful effects by taking care of some simple things.

If we can reduce our daily usage of vehicles and start to carpool, it will definitely make a big difference not only in saving fuel but also reducing pollution. We can avoid using a car or a motorcycle for small distances and instead prefer to cycle or at best, walk. Less usage of motor engines in the world definitely means lesser volumes of pollution and also decrease in consumption of fuel.

We can take care of our natural surroundings and plant more trees to heal the damage caused by pollution. We can reuse and recycle products to avoid landfill that is also a major cause of soil pollution. We can also make judicial use of water so that everyone has access to it. Remember that there are a number of countries that don’t even have access to drinking water.

We can also contribute by writing and speaking on such topics to spread this message and increase the awareness of people regarding such issues. Remember that a little step in this direction can make a big difference.

James Rodham