I got the air freshener free from SierraClub.org. It's part of their Pick Your Poison report, rating the environmental record of each of the major oil companies. Here are the results with links to the full write-ups of each of the companies:
Top of the Barrel
Sunoco
Middle of the Barrel
Royal Dutch Shell
Chevron
Valero Energy Corporation
Citgo
Bottom of the Barrel
Middle of the Barrel
Royal Dutch Shell
Chevron
Valero Energy Corporation
Citgo
Bottom of the Barrel
Reports like this are perfect for making sure my consumer choices reflect my climate conscience. Is there a term for that? I don't think so, therefore I'm making one up right now -- climate consumerism. Done.
The air fresheners take it one step further, getting that clear, concise information to the exact place I need it as I'm making your choices. Unfortunately, the Sierra Club's website now says they're out of the air fresheners.Obviously there's not going to be a BP or Sunoco around the corner every time I need to gas up. But in the long term, it'll help direct my dollars away from climate deniers and towards oil companies that are taking some steps to reduce their environmental impact.
6 comments:
Thanks for posting this. It's good information to have.
Be careful sniffing too much Sierra Club...
You should also check out http://earth911.org/about/partner/corporate-partners/exxonmobil
SC failed to mention Exxon's involvement in putting Earth911's logo on their motor oil bottles so people know how to recycle.
Anonymous, appreciate the comment, but Exxon deserves every bit of bashing it gets for its funding of global warming deniers.
I'm not up on the recycling of motor oil bottles so I only know what Google tells me, but this site indicates it's not a good idea:
Motor oil residue has become one of the biggest contaminants for our plastics markets. The residue seeps into the porous plastic and cannot be removed through the washing process. Of course you should never try to rinse or wash a motor oil bottle yourself since motor oil down the sink or storm drain causes a much larger environmental crisis than a plastic bottle in the trash. The market representatives who take our plastics tell us a motor oil bottle in a pile of plastics could potentially contaminate a whole batch of otherwise-recyclable materials and cause the whole lot to be sent to the landfill. So, when you look at it, recycling a motor oil bottle would be the real dasher of hopes for all the other bottles that really wanted to be recycled.
To responsibly dispose of a motor oil bottle, make sure you let it drip into the engine so it’s as empty as possible and tightly reseal the lid before you toss it.
I'm doing research that kind of parallels theirs -- finding out which oil giants care and how much.
Didn't say Exxon doesn't deserve to be called on the carpet. But Sierra has a responsibility as well to keep the debate honest.
Your comment about them 'deserving the bashing' reveals to me that you revel in their negative press -- and look the other way at their positive deeds.
It's your blog. And your right.
A) You talk an awfully big game for someone who refuses to put a name to their comments. Quite brave of you.
B) Let's check Exxon's ledger sheet:
NEGATIVE: Helped raise the temperature of the planet 1.5 degrees F and counting, then spent more than a decade obstructing action to stop global warming ... reaped largest profit in history of planet.
POSITIVE: Put a sticker on a bottle.
Sorry, clearly I should be more balanced. Again, you refuse to ID yourself, but if you're someone who's trying to promote Earth911, Exxon, or both, you're doing a lousy job.
Yearly, multiple billions of motor oil bottles are sold in the U.S. but only about 16% of used motor oil is properly reclaimed for recycling.
Ever consider where the other 84% goes?
It does not take a large quantity of oil to cause serious damage. One quart of oil can contaminate up to two million gallons of drinking water. And the four quarts of oil it takes to fill your Saturn's engine can form an oil slick nearly eight acres in size. Fish can be smothered by oil coating their gills or can be killed indirectly by reduced resistance to infection. Bottom-dwelling organisms such as oysters and clams can be smothered directly by settling of oil suspensions or indirectly by the reduced oxygen levels caused by coating of the water surface. Oil can stunt or kill marsh vegetation or submerged grasses. In addition to initial effects, once the oil begins to dissolve, toxins can be released, exposing marine organisms to potentially carcinogenic matter.
Would you prefer Exxon not fund this recycling effort? My only point was that it was a positive thing Exxon was doing and that SC deliberately failed to mention it.
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