Don't Drip and Drive
Each of us may not be responsible for spilling a lot of oil, but together, our leaks add up to millions of gallons. Here's what you can do.
Today, the media is reporting that early estimates that the Gulf Coast oil spill rig is releasing 5,000 barrels of oil a day are woefully off the mark. These numbers are horrifying, which is why massive spills like this one—and the heartbreaking photos of oil-soaked waters, animals, and beaches—make most of us jump to attention and ask, how can we make sure that our oceans aren’t polluted with so much oil again? While most people rightly focus on proper regulation and oversight, as well as alternative energy, we tend not to think of things each of us do on a daily basis.
But here’s an interesting fact: Regular folks, like us, going about our daily lives release 18 million gallons of oil into the sea off of North America every year— much more than the 11 million gallons that was released in the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989. Got a leaky car? The oil that drops onto the pavement is picked up by rain water, which ends up in local rivers that flow out to sea. Use a two-stroke engine on your boat and jet ski? While you run it, gas and oil pour into the surrounding water.
Each of us may not be responsible for spilling a lot of oil into the environment, but together, our leaks add up to a huge spill. So here are three things we can all do to reduce our personal oil spillage:
If your car is often low on oil, you either have a leak or your car is burning oil. Those quarts of oil don’t just disappear, they end up on the streets or in the air. Get the problem fixed as soon as you can. If you think you may have a leak but you’re not sure, you can check for evidence by placing a sheet of cardboard on the ground under your engine overnight. Oil spots will look light to dark brown and feel oily. Coolant is green and smells sweet. Brake fluid is very light brown (almost clear) and very slippery. Automatic-transmission fluid and power-steering fluid are usually red.
If you have a boat with an older two-stroke outboard motor, upgrade to a four-stroke engine. In addition to creating less air and water pollution, four-stroke engines are quieter and more fuel-efficient.
We can all reduce the amount of oil and gas we use and spill by driving less. The gulf oil spill is another reminder to try to walk, bicycle, take transit or carpool as much as you can. Set a goal to drive one less time each week.
