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1、The production of passenger vehicles around the world reached an all-time high this year: 80 million new cars and light trucks, according to a study by the Worldwatch Institute in Washington. The new production record is heightening concerns among environmentalists, since petroleum-fueled automobile
2、s are a major source of air pollution and climate-changing carbon emissions.With the new cars and light trucks added to the global fleet, the world is nearing a milestone - one billion vehicles on the roads. Most are petroleum-fueled internal combustion engines, whose emissions cause environmental p
3、roblems like air pollution and contribute to global warming.Michael Renner of the Worldwatch Institute, wrote the analysis of worldwide auto production.The strongest producer by far right now is China, which had a tremendous period of growth over the last decade and have overtaken Germany, Japan and
4、 the U.S., which used to be the three big producers worldwide, Renner said.Hybrid and electric vehicles represent less than two percent of the total output, the study says.But representatives of the auto industry say they care about the environment. Steven Brooks, an analyst at E, which compiles dat
5、a on the automobile market, says the industry is responding to the desire for greener products.There are 43 different vehicles that are going to get introduced into the shopping arena by the end of 2015, like this Honda CR-Z here. This is a hybrid electric vehicle, Brooks said.But Renner says unless
6、 we move to cleaner and more efficient fuels, as well as alternative propulsion systems, electric cars wont solve the environmental problem.If we dont significantly change the bases on which our electricity systems are functioning, in other words if we use large amounts of coal and fossil fuels to p
7、roduce electricity, then going with the electrical vehicles is not getting us all that far, Renner said.Industry experts say hydrogen fuel cells and experimental new materials, such as strong, lightweight magnesium and carbon composites, could dramatically improve energy efficiency in tomorrows pass
8、enger vehicles. But such improvements are still years away. In todays car market, Steven Brooks says, gasoline prices are still driving peoples vehicle choices.The mid-size sedans are still the number-one-selling segment in the country, but the adoption of the small and hybrid vehicles is on the ris
9、e as the gas prices go up, Brooks said.According to the United Nations, emissions from road transport constitute more than 20 percent of greenhouse gases.The Worldwatch study notes that even in developing countries, car travel distances have doubled in the past decade. Experts agree that to counter
10、the public health and environmental impact of this trend, governments must develop better systems of public transportation.GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA - In U.S presidential politics, Democrat Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt Romney, have championed small-business growth as a way to fue
11、l an economic recovery in the United States. In the southern state of North Carolina, where both men are popular, small business owners are deeply divided over which candidate can best address their needs.Larry Guinn manufactures de-mountable interior wall partitions at his factory in Summerfield, N
12、orth Carolina. He worries about the future.I am not going to hire many people. I just see more and more unemployment in the country, and that is not good for America, Guinn said.Not far away in Greensboro, immigration lawyer Jeremy McKinney prepares to defend another client in court. He thinks the c
13、ountry is on the right course.From out vantage point I do not see any reason to change the captain of the ship, McKinney said.Both men are small business owners, but on opposite ends of the political divide when it comes to presidential politics and which candidate has the right plan to drive econom
14、ic growth. Guinn, a Republican, supports Mitt Romney over President Obama.If we do not get someone in there who knows and understands how businesses operate and what is required of them to be profitable and stay in business, I am not sure how much longer small businesses are going to be able to hang
15、 on, Guinn said.Jeremy McKinney, a Democrat, credits President Obamas policies for the current economic recovery. He says his firm suffered its worse financial year in 2008, but now times are better.Each year we have been able to climb back. And this year has been our best year ever in the history o
16、f this law firm. We can see the president and this administration and its policies creating this economic recovery in action, McKenney said.Guinn says Romneys plan to cut corporate taxes will allow small business owners to hire more workers. But he worries President Obamas health-care reform law will cost his company more, because he currently does not provide health insurance for his workers.If I am at the point
