GAS STATION ECOLOGY
According to
the Massachusetts Audubon Society, one gallon of gasoline can contatninate
750,000 gallons of drinking water.
BACKGROUND.
Many
Americans dont realize that the type of gas we choose‑and the way we
pump it‑has an impact on the environment.
IT'S
A GAS.
Leaded
gas is an environmental hazard. Airborne lead from vehicle exhaust causes
liver, kidney, and brain damage in humans. And scientists suspect that it's
responsible for damaging crops as well. Ac. cording to one estimate, more than
half the 450,000 tons of lead released into the air every year comes from cars.
So
who uses leaded gas? According to the EPA, about 20% of the drivers whose cars
are made for unleaded gas use leaded gas anyway. This not only renders the
anti,smog equipment ineffective‑so more pollutants are poured into the air‑but ruins
their cars, too.
Owners
of pre‑1976 cars often believe their vehicles must use leaded gas.
The EPA says that's a myth‑it's the octane rating, not the lead, thaes important. The
only exceptions, they note, are when the cars are carrying heavy loads or
traveling at high speeds.
If
your car was made to use leaded premium, try a mix of half regular and half
unleaded premium with a 92+ octane rating.
DON'T
FUME ABOUT IT
Butane,
a component of gasoline, helps create ozone smog when it evaporates. So when
you fill your gas tank, the escaping vapors are polluting the atmosphere.
The
plastic hoods you see on many gas pump nozzles are actually vapor controls. The
special gas hose fits over the tank opening and sucks fumes into the
underground storage tank, preventing the va, pors from escaping. More and more
states are requiring gas stations to install this vapor‑control
equipment.
So
if there's a vapor catcher, don't pull if back, and don't pull out the gas
nozzle to top off the tank. Thaes what lets the gas vapors into the atmosphere
and creates smog