While the ecological impact of automobiles on society may be perceived in more concrete terms, the measurement of its social impact is more abstract in its definition. Mark Delucchi suggests that "the total social cost of automobile use is the welfare difference between the current motor vehicle system and a system which provides exactly the same services (that is, moves people and goods to and from the same places as do motor vehicles) but without time, manpower, materials, or energy - in short without cost" (Delucchi 1997: 136) This interpretation of the social cost of automobiles eludes to several general categories of impact, such as personal non-monetary costs, bundled private sector costs, government costs, and various externalities.

More specifically personal non

The four primary types of automobile emissions that are causing infections,

A major reason for this drastic increase in auto-related infrastructure is simply due to the massive swelling of the auto population, which would have otherwise caused the roads to become so saturated with traffic that all motion would have come to a halt. Even though gridlock has been avoided through the construction of new roads, the metabolism of Western

providing at least the illusion of power. The private automobile is a greedy creature that makes vast claims on space, resources, and the budgets of its owners; only a device that promised more than transpor-tation could have been so successful. (Rudi 1996: 667)

breathing problems, and death in humans and other animals are carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and tropospheric ozone (O3). Bronner notes that CO is primarily caused by the incomplete combustion of fuel in engines, which commonly causes dizziness, drowsiness, headaches, and impaired coordination in busy

(Brandon 1996: 202) Another possible theory points to the psychological effects of driving an automobile, in which the feelings of power and control may outweigh the environmental and financial consequences. Rudi Volti notes that "much of the appeal of the automobile stems from its ability to confer a measure of insulation from the outside world while

(Bronner 1997: 492-493) Whether this would be intolerable or not would be irrelevant unfortunately, because the decentralization of Western society's structure has made us dependent on the automobile.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Michael Carley, Southern California, O3 Bronner, Mark Delucchi, CO2 NOx, Eric Bronner, Consequences Automobiles, Rudi Volti, Carter Brandon, CO HC, bronner 1997, delucchi 1997, carley 1992, global environment, pollution credits, bronner notes, western society, social cost, private sector costs, bundled private sector, private sector, delucchi 1997 138, sector costs, bronner 1997 495, people's lives health,
Approximate Word count = 1909
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)