Some Environmental Stuff

I get a lot of junk e-mail. More stuff about hot stocks, offshore monies or cheap drugs. What a load of garbage.

But, I also get some very valuable e-mail. One of the is called EARTH GAUGE and it's intended for Broadcast Meteorologists. It usually has some neat tidbits that I can use on air or wherever.

This is an interesting factoid I just received:

Earth Gauge: Motor Oil Madness
About five percent of Americans who change their own oil do not dispose of their used motor oil properly. When used oil is dumped outside or into a storm drain, it can be carried directly to local surface waters during the next rain. The US EPA estimates that used oil dumped from just one oil change can contaminate drinking water for 50 people - approximately one million gallons!

Viewer Tip: When changing the oil in your car, make sure to dispose of it properly. Instead of dumping motor oil in outside or in the trash, collect it in a clean container with a lid (such as a tin can), and recycle. Many service stations accept oil for recycling, and you can find an oil collection facility in your area by visiting www.cleanup.org or calling 1-800-CLEANUP.

(Source: US EPA. "You Dump It, You Drink It." http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/usedoil/campgn/en-dumpbr.pdf; US Bureau of Transportation Statistics; US EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, Watershed Tips, April 11, 2006)

And then there was this point about how Global Warming can cause more Poison Ivy:

Climate Fact: Prolific Poison Ivy
Atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels have doubled since pre-industrial times. When CO2 levels are high, poison ivy plants grow faster and produce more urushiol - the chemical notorious for causing rashes and other allergic reactions. Every year, more than 350,000 American develop rashes from contact with this plant.
(Source: Mohan et al. 2006.” Biomass and toxicity responses of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) to elevated atmospheric CO2” Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 103(24): 9086-9089)