Don't be a drip-oil kills marine life!

Recycle your used motor oil! And never pour oil down your kitchen sink (it can clog the sewer system) or down storm drains (they lead directly to our ocean)!

50 million gallons of oil disappear from cars each year-and becomes pollution in the form of exhaust, roadway leaks, and outright illegal dumps. It is simple to decrease this major source of pollution and help end the degradation of the marine environment. Monitor the health of your car with timely oil changes and recycle the used motor oil. Whether you do it yourself or take the car to a garage, it is easy to ensure that your oil is recycled properly. Ask your mechanic about their policies before you take in your car. Also, the City of San Diego has collection times for properly packaged motor oil and other car parts. The oil extracted from just 1 oil change can pollute 1 million gallons of water-more than 120 people can drink in a lifetime!

From home to ocean, take action! This month, make sure you always recycle your used motor oil.

• When it's time for an oil change, make sure you patronize a business with a strict policy for recycling used motor oil (both AutoZone and Kragen recycle oil).
• If you change the oil yourself at home, take precautions to prevent drips down the driveway and into the storm drain. Then properly package your used oil and take it to the appropriate collection service.
• Contact the City of San Diego's Environmental Services Department at (858) 694-7000, for collection dates and places.
• Learn more! www.sdoceans.org

Americans dump enough oil to contaminate about 1.5 trillion gallons of water each year! Put into perspective, 1.5 trillion is such a large number, that if you travel that many miles, you could take 1.6 billion roundtrips between the sun and Jupiter. Talk about frequent flyer miles!

Oil pollution is a major problem, and what most people don't realize is that the main source of this oil pollution does not come from the massive oil tanker spills that make news headlines. The smaller factors contributing to the problem include leaks at marine terminals, municipal and industrial wastes, urban runoff, and atmospheric fallout from car exhaust. This low-level oil pollution is responsible for over half of the oil causing destruction in the ocean. Oil leads to the slow, agonizing death of many marine creatures such as fish, birds, and marine mammals. The slick, sticky liquid coats feathers and fur, and this prevents animals from swimming or flying which hinders their ability to catch food. Oil can make the ocean a toxic environment by destroying smaller organisms like plankton and the developing larvae of small fish and shellfish that are essential to the food chain, and overall health of the marine environment. Everyone can take action to stop this needless contamination by preventing oil drips into the storm drains, fixing leaks on their cars, recycling used motor oil, and taking public transportation.