Choosing Gas Stations

[livingdeb]

Not only did Exxon get out of paying for the damage that occurred in the Exxon-Valdez spill and not only have they put off paying their fine for almost ten years, but the Supreme Court just reduced that tiny inadequate fine by 80%. I am so angered by this that I decided want to do whatever it takes to make sure that company does not get any of my money.

I know that means don't buy gas at Exxon and don't buy gas at Mobile. It probably also means to avoid HEB and Walmart because I don't know who they buy their gas from.

But then I wondered whether any of the other gas companies are any better? Or are they all equally slimy but less spectacularly newsworthy? So I decided to do some research.

This turned out to be not so easy. But I did find the Sierra Club's Pick Your Poison: An Updated Environmentalist's Guide to Gasoline. According to them, they are all slimy. Getting gas is inherently a little slimy, and companies can't help being at least a little slimier than they have to be. They are just so huge, they are bound to include some slimy elements. So reducing gas consumption is, of course, the best strategy.

But gas companies are not all equally slimy. Based on what I learned there, I decided I should favor gas stations owned by Sunoco. I don't think there are any in my town. Sunoco stations are also called Utra and APlus, and I don't think we have any of those, either.

The Sierra Club likes BP also, but I think I like Shell second-best. Both are responsible for some nasty atrocities, and Shell's seem slimier (more on purpose). But then I like that Shell has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions, is working on how to maintain biodiversity in oil and gas development, and has been developing alternative fuels since 2000.

But then the linked article, the earlier Pick Your Poison: An Environmentalist's Guide to Gasoline, has nice data on refining records. Shell's looks horrible. The best-looking ones to me are Sunoco and Chevron (which has since merged with Texaco, which looks not so great).

I think I have seen BP and Shell gas stations in my town. I'm not sure where a BP station is, but there is a Shell right near my house (although the local Texaco is much nicer).

Any thoughts on these issues?

Comments

[pamwheatfree.livejournal.com]

Buy Chevron gas, because I used to own stock in Texaco but now it is Chevron. There, now I am being selfish. My real opinion is that you should use your car as little as possible. Ride a bike, insist on better public transit. I tell you, I hate to get on a bus in Texas but it is not a bad experience everywhere. There are places with train systems and bus systems that really work and the buses are on time and clean and safe. This just isn't the case in most Texas cities. I say most because I haven't been to that many cities that I would take the bus in. Houston - not particularly safe and not on schedule at all that I could tell. San Antonio - other than the trolley for the tourists, it doesn't seem to get you where you want to go. Austin - I never even tried because I wasn't familiar enough with the streets to try to get anywhere from looking at the bus map. Dallas - who knows, I only pass through occasionally.

Too bad there isn't a good train or subway system.

[livingdeb.livejournal.com]

I don't mind the buses in Austin so long as I don't have to transfer and I have some extra time and a good book. I take the bus to work, but most places I go would require a transfer.