Toxic Chemicals
Because we use oil to power our transportation sector, American cars and trucks spew nearly 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere every year. Carbon dioxide is the primary culprit in global climate change.
Meanwhile, a single oil refinery near Los Angeles produces 1,523 pounds of toxic chemicals EVERY DAY in the process of turning crude oil into gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel.
Sources:
U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2006,” November 2007.
Lisa Margonelli, “Oil On The Brain,” (New York: Nan A. Talese) 2007, p. 49.
