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Everyday American life or any road trip means you’ve come across a gas station or two in your life, but how does a gas station negatively impact our planet?
A gas station in the U.S. refers to a place, either to the side of the road or in a congested area, where drivers can stop to fuel up their cars and also walk into a convenience store for snacks, coffee, toiletries, and to use the restroom.
However, despite their handiness, a gas station may not be the most beneficial thing for the planet.
In this article, we’ll explain all the reasons why a gas station isn’t eco-friendly, the repercussions of a gas station, and alternatives to needing to stop at the gas station.
A gas station, sometimes referred to as a petrol station in regions such as the United Kingdom, is a place that will sell gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, and other fuels in a commercial sense. In addition to selling various fuels, a gas station will often offer other convenient services for those on the road.
While some services at a gas station are no longer paramount in 2024 thanks to modern technology, cell phones, and baking apps – people will often still stop at a gas station to purchase snacks and use the restroom.
Typical features at a gas station normally include:
👉 Even in 2024, gas stations remain important for truck drivers and other long-distance travelers as access points to replenish fuel for their vehicles and also as a rest stop for themselves.
Gas stations are bad for the environment, seeing as gasoline creates excess greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts as a result of fuel extraction, transportation, and storage until driver’s fill up their cars.
A gas station isn’t great for the planet since it contributes to excess greenhouse gas emissions, air and water pollution, and could cause land degradation and destruction in order to build gas stations themselves.
Here are a few reasons why gas stations aren’t good for the environment:
👉 Overall, a gas station raises a lot of environmental concerns – many of which will require stricter regulations and efforts on behalf of customers and the gas station themselves to change.
Luckily, the environmental impact of a gas station has not gone unnoticed – with several regulatory measures being implemented to help manage the negative effects of gas stations: such efforts on behalf of the EPA and various state and local regulations.
Without federal and state regulation, gas stations would have the jurisdiction to emit excess emissions – making it imperative to not only keep these regulations in tact, but to make them more stringent in-line with evolving carbon reduction trajectories to ensure success.
Here are some of the current regulations to help keep the environmental impact of a gas station in check:
💡Did you know that some states don’t allow people to pump their own gas and refill their cars by themselves? Some states that require a gas station attendant to refuel your car for you include New Jersey and previously Oregon.
In addition to these governmental protocols to evade the impact of a gas station, there are a few other things that you should encourage your local gas station to do in order to promote the importance of environmental reform – such as checking for leaks and looking to implement eco-friendly technologies.
While governmental regulations can require a local gas station to alter components of their fuel distribution process, gas stations around the country and subsequently the world will need to put in their own effort to make a tangible difference.
Here are some ways that gas stations can do their part to reduce their environmental impact on their own behalf:
In addition to the precautions that a gas station could take today, there are exciting advancements to come on the future to help gas stations reduce their environmental impact – such as further advancements in clean energy, more EV charging stations as some places begin to ban the purchase of gasoline powered vehicles, and even hydrogen fueling stations. These would help lower the chances of a gasoline leak and the odds of a combustion.
Two examples of gas stations which have made a genuine effort to go green include BP and Shell, which are some of the most popular gas stations in the U.S. – seeing as both Shell and BP have made an effort to invest in renewable energy and low-carbon technologies and install electric vehicle charging stations.
👉 Ultimately, it’s important for a gas station to create their own environmental goals in combination with adhering to the current federal and state regulations.
It’s important for both government action and individual efforts to be put into motion for gas stations to reduce their environmental impact, but also – as the consumers, we should also find ways to avoid a trip to the gas station whenever possible to help reduce consumption and the potential negative impacts.
Here are a few ways to never have to stop at the gas station gain:
Overall, every trip to the gas station is bound to create a carbon footprint of some kind – but the good news is that the government, ordinary people, and gas stations themselves have the power to make the necessary changes to avoid the worst of the environmental effects of a gas station.
If reading this article about the environmental impact of a gas station has made you interested in reducing your carbon emissions to further fight against climate change – Greenly can help you!
It can be challenging to determine when it’s best for your company to use services such as a local gas station or not, but don’t worry – Greenly is here to help. Click here to schedule a demo to see how Greenly can help you find ways to effectively implement and utilize green finance.
Greenly can help you make an environmental change for the better, starting with a carbon footprint assessment to know how much carbon emissions your company produces.