SUVS represent a contradictory setting to consumers. Television advertisements present them as a way to return to nature, yet they actually accelerate existing environmental problems. Commercials often depict happy families driving in the mountains, and enjoying the serenity of the wilderness in leather seated comfort. The sad truth is that the increase of the SUV vehicles on the road in America has an affected our environment in a negative fashion. .
With today's SUVS growing larger, automakers have begun to war on making the most massive vehicle hurting global warming and taking out fresh air because of their fossil fuel. SUVS are heavier then cars, so they take more gas to go the same distance. And burning more gas releases more garbage into the air. "According to the Liberal Union of Concerned Scientists, 2001- model SUVs, pickups and minivans emitted 2.4 times as much smog forming nitrogen's oxides and hydro carbons as cars and 1.4 times as much tail pipe carbon dioxide (a global warming gas) as cars " (cloud 4). SUVS have a significant environment impact even beyond the problem of global warming. "These pollutants contribute to eye and throat irritation, coughing, nausea, dizziness, fatigue, confusion and headaches. Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides are precursors t ground level ozone, which causes asthma and lung damage" (Crenson 13.1). Automakers have so far been unwilling to make serious effort to improve these vehicles. "Federal law has allowed SUV, which are classed as light trucks, to emit up three times as much pollution per mile standard cars" (Fords 2). This is a very important development, and it depicts the kind of impact that a large amount of polluting SUVS can have on air quality. Because of increases carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere " The Environmental Protection agency began a crack down on SUVS using the so called tail pipe standards authorized by the Clean Air Act.