Car Free Day (September 22) is exactly what it sounds like, a day where you take any means of travel except for your car. This is a day to bring awareness to the many benefits of other ways of travel, such as biking and walking. While going to and from places by car is very convenient, there are lots of downsides to this method of travel. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) claims that gas-powered cars cause nearly 75% of carbon monoxide pollution in the United States. They also emit carbon dioxide, which is a very common but harmful greenhouse gas.

There are some downsides to participating in Car Free Day. If you have a job that’s far away from home, it’ll be more difficult to get there without a car. For many people, cars are the only option for transportation. Even biking to a job further away will result in a much longer commute. Even with these downsides, though, there are some pros to Car Free Day. Fewer cars being used is very eco-friendly and will decrease the amount of pollution in the air.

A way some people have been trying to reduce their own spread of pollution is by buying electric cars. Electric cars don’t run on gas, lowering the amount of greenhouse gasses being emitted into the air. According to AAA, they are also around $330 dollars cheaper to maintain than the average gas-powered car. Overall, electric cars are considered more beneficial to the environment than gas cars, although they have their share of drawbacks, even on Car Free Day, their impact can be lessened.

Even though it is only one day, Car Free Day can have a positive impact on the environment. A small impact can be long-lasting.