When people think of pollution, most think directly of automobiles producing harmful emissions that contribute to global warming or climate change. Well, it's true. Motor vehicles account for about half of toxic air pollutant emissions in the United States. Much of these toxic air pollutants are caused by the need for oil as a fuel source. The fact that oil is still the primary source of energy for things like automobiles, while there are other alternatives like electric vehicles, creates many problems within our society. America's dependence on oil causes incidents like the Deepwater Horizon. The estimated amount of oil spilled was 4.9 million barrels and significantly polluted the region. As a country, we need to reduce our dependence on oil and some steps in this direction include moving away from gas-guzzling automobiles. Automobiles are a major contributing factor to America's oil dependence, and they are also a leading cause of pollution. Pollution from automobiles became so severe that the United States had to pass the Clean Air Act in 1970, which imposed a series of rules aimed at reducing pollution from vehicle exhaust, fueling emissions and from the evaporation of gasoline. The law had to be amended twice in 1977 and 1990 to set more targets for combating dangerous air pollutants. Although the Clean Air Act helped control pollution a little, it still didn't solve the underlying problem: America's obsession with oil and gasoline vehicles. Due to high environmental pollution, we should move away from traditional gasoline-powered automobiles and instead seek greener alternatives like electric or hybrid vehicles and improved public transportation. Automobiles have become...... middle of paper ......Quality Selected facts and figures. Washington, DC: United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, 2006. 5. Print “Public Transportation Benefits.” American Public Transportation Association. APTA, Web. May 1, 2014. .Rose, Lynne H. “Comparing Hybrid and Normal Cars: What Saves Money?” SF door. Demand media. Internet. April 29, 2014. “The Environmental Benefits of Driving Public Transit.” » State of Delaware. Internet. May 1, 2014. http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/dwhs/info/Pages/OzonePublicTrans.aspx “The Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act.” EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, Web. May 1, 2014. Westin, Jonas and Per Kågeson. “Can high-speed rail offset its embedded emissions? Transportation Research Part D: Transportation and Environment 17.1 (2012): 1-7. Academic Research Premier Web. April 29. 2014