The New Nation - Internet Edition

Cars pollute as soon as they are turned on, whether they are moving or sitting still in traffic. To blame the on rickshaws because they slow down cars is outrageous. Even when moving smoothly and well-maintained, cars pollute; internationally, cars are the major polluters of our air and the major contributors to climate change.

Cars pollute; lots of cars pollute a lot. CNG is cleaner than other fuels, but as it is a carbon-based fuel, it still releases carbon dioxide into the air as well as the cancer-causing chemical benzene, for which no safe level of exposure is known.

People traveling by foot, bicycle, or rickshaw arrive at their destination without contributing to air pollution; people traveling by a motorised vehicle, even a bus, contribute to air pollution.

While the rich are the main sources of air pollution, everyone breathes the air.

Meanwhile, if the some people believe they are somehow immune to air pollution because they live with air conditioning, they might wish to remember that they too must breathe the same air that they are polluting; the more cars, the more they will suffer.

Rahidul Samanna Roky

Dhaka University

Why the Creator has given human beings the status of His supreme creation? Because He has blessed the human beings with conscience to demarcate right and wrong. But very unfortunately most people wouldn't like to apply their conscience while expressing themselves and before going to perform an action. What a pity!

One should not keep one's conscience circuit inactive but always keep it activated!

Professor M Zahidul Haque

Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

Dhaka.