| Oil
View numbered sources in PDF format | Back to trivia by subject
In 1994, 214 million gallons of oil were sold in California and of that, 122 million gallons of used oil were generated. Only 75 million gallons of that used oil were recycled properly which leaves 47 million gallons unaccounted for. (6)
A quart of motor oil can pollute 250,000 gallons of water and 1 acre of land 1 inch deep. (21, 51)
Americans throw away enough used motor oil every year to fill 120 supertankers. (21)
About 62% of all oil-related pollution in the U.S. is caused by improper disposal of used motor oil and is the single largest source of oil pollution (over 40%) in our nation's waterways. (21, 57)
It is easier and cheaper to recycle used oil than to make new oil from crude. One gallon of used oil can produce the same amount of motor oil as 42 gallons of crude oil while requiring about a third of the energy. (13)
If all used motor oil in the U.S. were recycled, it would result in a saving of 1.3 million barrels of oil per day. (14)
Used oil can be re-refined into good-as-new lubricating oil. Oil never wears out, it just gets dirty.(57)
Used oil can be reprocessed into fuel oil, which contains about 140,000 BTU's of energy and can be burned efficiently. (57)
The U.S. currently imports about 60% of our oil and within 20 years we will be importing 100% at a cost of $150 billion annually. (45)
The world will need twice the raw materials in 2010 that it does today. Maintaining the same level of oil usage will require discovering as much in the next 10 years as has been found in all history. (52)
|