IELTS Writing Task 2 Topic: International car-free day is an effective way of reducing air pollution

Courtney Miller

4 min read

Updated On Mar 05, 2024

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The Essay Writing section of the IELTS Writing Module can be a difficult task for many IELTS Aspirants. Thus, it is vital that you polish your essay writing skills before attempting the IELTS.

Below is a sample IELTS Essay for the IELTS Essay topic:

Some people think an international car-free day is an effective way of reducing air pollution, others think there are some other ways. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

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Sample Essay

The ubiquity of cars is often considered as a major culprit of air quality degradation in many countries. To combat atmospheric pollution, many suggest that car-free days should be held internationally. However, I contend that these events may achieve little success, and there are more effective methods to preserve the atmosphere.

Advocates of organising global car-free days may argue that the absence of cars promotes the use of public transport and activities such as cycling and walking, which all contribute considerably to the reduction of traffic emissions. This argument, from my perspective, is flawed, because of two facts. The first is that a few days without cars out of 365 days of the year may help cut down as little as one percent of the annual amount of traffic fumes, so the assertion that this short-term reduction is significant is a mere exaggeration. The second is that this solution does not limit the massive amount of air contaminants being released from industrial zones. It is, therefore, a one-sided approach and arguably not an effective way to address the problem of air pollution.

There are, in my opinion, better measures to minimise air pollution. One of them is constructing dedicated lanes for public means of transport. These lanes guarantee that public transport is relatively faster than individual vehicles in rush hours, which may encourage a majority of commuters to eschew their personal vehicles in favour of mass transit. The implication is that motor vehicle use may be reduced throughout the year, which exerts a longer-lasting impact on minimising traffic fumes than international car-free days may do. Another measure is levying a tax on carbon usage in all areas, including transport and industrial production. This measure has been adopted in several countries, including the United Kingdom, and has proven its effectiveness as a holistic approach to curtail emissions in all fields.

To sum up, I believe the organisation of world car-free days may produce little effect on protecting the atmosphere. Other solutions, namely building designated lanes for public vehicles and taxing all industries on carbon usage, produce more sustainable effects on a larger scale.

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The impediments in transport and commute have assuaged to a great extent. However, it has aggravated the environmental conditions. To this, where some people consider having an international car-free as an effective measure, I consider it wouldn’t be a very substantial way of mitigating the menace of environment.

The population has been soaring higher than ever before and so is the proportional growth of technological advancements. The more is science proliferating, the lesser arduous has life become and more facile and luxurious we have made it in all grades of life, unfortunately, downgrading the most prime resource, our environment. The cars, the buses, the means of transport have immensely mushroomed exacerbating the quality of the air we breathe. The people who believe going with a particular car-free day often contend that would decrease the pollution and intensity of the smoke and hazardous pollutants released from the incomplete combustion. Hence, taking a day off from cars would be extenuating loads of such contaminants which are detrimental to the respiration of our environment.

The other significant argument contradicts that such measures would be barely efficacious in rendering protection to the environment. It would just be a negligible halt in dissuading the pace of atmospheric contaminants. It would rather impede the day to day routine activities which might curb the economy to a certain extent as from the environmental protection perspective, it wouldn’t really be an effectual practice. Following Euro-5 norms and other effective guidelines alike would be much more beneficial. Usage of CNGs, taking care of complete combustion and using less hazardous constituents in manufacturing the means of transportation are better alternatives.

Conclusively, it could be summed up that with respect to the extent of pollution that is prevalent at present, going for one-day prevention is rather inept.