text: First, limiting car usage would be advantageous because it would better the environment. With global warming increasing by the day, any step to reduce pollution and greenhouse gases should be taken, limiting car usage is an essential tool to head in that direction. As a Elisabeth Rosenthal from the New York Times expounded: "Passanger cars are responsible for 12 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in Europe and up to 50 percent in some car-intensive areas in the United States." Clearly cars are extremely harmful to the environment. However there is hope, because once car usage is limited these high numbers can be mitigated everywhere. In fact, in Paris, as Robert Duffer from the Chicago Tribune reported, policies to lower car usage have been taken and have actually worked! In France's capital "motorists with even-numbered license plates were ordered to leave their cars at home or suffer a 22-euro fine. The same would apply to odd-numbered plates the following day." In hopes to reduce carbon emmissions and save the environment, Paris's prayers were answered as the smog cleared enough for the government to remove the ban for odd-numbered plates. Clearly, the pollution reduced due to one factor--limiting car usage. If actions around the world are initiated similar to Paris's plan, then a better environmental future is inevitable. The environmental benefits of reducing car usage are endless. After all we only have one planet, cars should not be the machines to dictate our environmental future.