(Check your carbon footprint at National Forest Foundation)
A minimum of one-third of all air pollution is caused by vehicles, and over 30% of all energy used in the U.S. is for automobile gasoline. Americans alone use about 150 billion (150,000,000,000) gallons of gasoline each and every year. This is an unfathomably huge amount! This gas didn't (and doesn't) just disappear. It is converted into extremely dangerous air pollution that harms all aspects of nature. A car's tailpipe emits the following: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, ground-level ozone, benzene, formaldehyde, 1,3-butadiene, acetaldehyde, particulate matter, and more. Benzene causes leukemia and lymphoma and impairs bone marrow and red blood cell formation. Carbon monoxide, which is a colorless, odorless, deadly gas, binds to hemoglobin and deprives cells of necessary oxygen. It is also responsible for lung disease and nervous system damage. Formaldehyde causes genetic mutations and is recognized by the EPA as a probable carcinogen. Ground-level ozone, as was discussed in chapter 3, results in smog and causes lung damage. 1,3-butadiene has been shown to cause reproductive and developmental defects and is an EPA-recognized carcinogen. Acetaldehyde causes birth defects and is on the EPA's list of probable carcinogens. Nitrogen oxide is the culprit of acid rain (along with sulfur dioxide -- automobiles account for 50% of the nitrogen oxide emissions in the U.S.). Carbon dioxide (CO2) is responsible for global warming. Many scientists agree that global warming, or the greenhouse effect, will (1) have a negative effect on the world food supply; (2) cause an increase in the spread of tropical disease; (3) cause ocean acidification; (4) cause glaciers to retreat and disappear; and (5) alter sea level and make weather more extreme. Many of the deadly hurricanes around the world, along with the rampant floods, droughts, heat waves, and wildfires, have been attributed to global warming. It seems more and more of these natural disasters are occurring every passing year.
It is estimated that the average vehicle pollutes two to four times its weight in emissions every year. For example, if you have a 5,000 pound car, it emits 10,000 to 20,000 pounds of pollution every year. This enormous weight comes from the fact that when you fill up with gas you put roughly 12 gallons of gas into the tank. 12 gallons of gas is quite heavy (around 75 pounds). When you run out and have to fill up again, the gas didn't just disappear. It was converted into heavy air pollution. To learn more about this, go to www.epa.gov. In addition, oil refineries emit roughly 4 billion pounds of pollution every year. Every phase of refining crude oil causes devastating pollution, from the extraction and refining, to the transportation to the gas stations, and finally to public consumption. Plus, 1,000 gallons of water are needed overall to produce a single gallon of gas. The following are a few practical ideas for reducing the environmental impact of oil and to lessen our addictive consumption of the substance (see also chapters 5-7):