[Environment Report]:Green Transportation Festival


This is the VOA Special English Environment Report.

A vehiclein the 2002 Tour de Sol.
A vehiclein the 2002 Tour de Sol.

Energy saving vehicles were partof the Green Transportation Festival in Washington, D.C., lastmonth. The vehicles shown are designed to reduce America'sdependence on oil and help the environment. The festival takes placein several American cities.

There are exhibits of cars, buses and motorized bicycles at thefestivals. Most of them use little gas or use another kind of fuelsuch as biodiesel, electricity, hydrogen, natural gas or propane.People are also urged to consider simpler ways of getting around,such as walking, biking and using public transportation systems.Personal transportation vehicles, called scooters, are also gaininginterest. These methods all avoid or reduce the use of gasoline anddiesel fuel, which are made from oil.

Individuals, students and carmakers took part in the festival.They wanted to show people what their so-called "green" vehiclescould do. Teams of students competed for prizes.

The United States has less than five-percent of the world'spopulation. But it uses about twenty-five percent of the world'soil.

More than half of the nation's oil is imported. Most of it goesto transportation.

But festival organizers say progress in technology is making itpossible for Americans to reduce their dependence on oil fortransportation. That is because the kinds of energy-saving vehiclesare increasing. Hybrid vehicles, for example, combine a gasolineengine and an electric motor. There are thousands on the road today.They can reduce gasoline use by as much as fifty-percent. Vehiclespowered by biodiesel fuel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen or naturalgas can reduce oil use by as much as ninety-nine percent.

Festival organizers say that efforts to reduce oil imports in theUnited States would also have important environmental and publichealth benefits. The burning of oil as fuel is responsible for alarge share of the gases blamed for changes in the world climate.When gasoline is burned in cars, it also pollutes the air. Thisleads to breathing problems, cancer and other health problems.

Organizers say that strong public demand for hybrids and vehiclesthat use other kinds of fuels could force carmakers to produce moresuch vehicles. That is the goal of the Green TransportationFestival.

This VOA Special English Environment Report was written byCynthia Kirk.

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