It is quite common these days for people in many countries to purchase and travel by private cars. I believe that this trend brings great convenience to  more people’s lives, but it also causes some problems for the environment.

The reason for this trend may involve the recognition that people who live car-free may commute by overcrowded buses and trains. By contrast, those who owned private cars might gain more freedom in their work and life and travel long distances. They can live in the countryside and work in the downtown. Therefore, driving private cars can improve the quality of their lives, which seems to be more pleasant.

There are, however, some disadvantages. If people drove their cars quite frequently, vehicles would emit a significant amount of pollutants to the air. It may result in climate change, which can cause extreme weather like hurricanes and heavy snow. Besides, there is no advantage if private cars burn much fossil fuels. This could use up non-renewable resources so that there are insufficient resources in the future for people to use. Consequently, it is detrimental to maintain the sustainable development of society. On the other hand, people can address these issues within the policy adopted.

As discussed above, the increasing number of private cars indicates that people are living a better life than before. Although this may also have minor negative impacts, we can take active measures to reduce those effects that private cars may have on the environment. Thus, I think that this trend has more merits than deficiencies.