An automobile is a wheeled passengervehicle that carries its own motor. Different types of automobiles include cars, buses, trucks, and vans. Some include motorcycles in the category, but cars are the most typical automobiles. The term automobile is derived from Greek auto- ("self") and Latin mobilis ("movable"), referring to the fact that it "moves by itself". Earlier terms for automobile include motorwagen, and horseless carriage. Although the term "car" is presumed to be derived through the shortening of the term "carriage", the word has its origin before 1300 A.D. in English as, "carr"—derived from similar words in French and much earlier Greek words—for a vehicle that moves, especially on wheels, that was applied to chariots, small carts, and later—to carriages that carried more people and larger loads. As of 2005 there were 600 million cars worldwide (93 cars per 1,000 persons) .
The automobile was thought of as an environmental improvement over horses when it was first introduced in the 1880s. Before its introduction, in New York City alone, more than 1,800 tons of manure had to be removed from the streets daily, although the manure was used as natural fertilizer for crops and to build top soil. In 2006, the automobile is recognized as one of the primary sources of world-wide air pollution and a cause of substantial noise pollution and adverse health effects.
Immigration, Trade Top McCain Agenda Thu, 03 Jul 2008 18:46:00 -0400 Trade and immigration top Republican presidential hopeful John McCain's visit to Mexico. The two issues also dominated his trip to Colombia. McCain says he'll seek Mexico's help to tackle illegal immigration. He used the trip to tout free trade. Median Net Worth Declines Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:22:00 -0400 The Fed's report in June said the net worth of Americans showed the biggest decline since 2002. Scott Hoyt, senior director of consumer economics at Moody's Economy.com, says when the value of assets fall, it makes it harder to reach financial goals. Employers Cut Jobs For Sixth Straight Month Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0400 The U.S. economy lost jobs for the sixth straight month in June. The Labor Department says employers cut 62,000 jobs from their payrolls. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.5 percent. The data were in line with economists' expectations.
Supercar for cops Tue, 01 Jul 2008 12:28:42 -0400 Forget about those retro-fitted Crown Victorias and Impalas. Carbon Motors hopes to build a better police cruiser for the future.