Oil is a major cause of pollution. The same is true of the fuels made from it.

For one thing, oil is sometimes accidentally spilled into the environment. This can harm plants and wildlife. Another problem arises when oil is refined, or made, into fuels. This process releases pollutants into the environment.

Still another problem occurs when fuels such as gasoline are used. Burning them puts pollutants into the air. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that driving a car “is probably a typical citizen’s most ‘polluting’ daily activity.” Gases that go into the air when gasoline is burned can be a major cause of air pollution.

Cars put various substances into the air. One of them is carbon monoxide. This gas can cause health problems. Other gases called nitrogen oxides can lead to
smog, which can also be harmful to people’s health. Substances called hydrocarbons are another potential cause of smog. Cars also produce large amounts of so called greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. Many scientists think that greenhouse gases in the air are making the world’s climate warmer. This
climate change is known as global warming.

Pollution Limits
In the United States there are laws that put limits on certain pollutants
from cars. One of them is the Clean Air Act of 1970. Another is the Clean
Air Act of 1990, which made refineries produce gasoline that burns more
cleanly. States such as California also have limits on certain pollutants.

Grading Cars for Pollution
Like traditional cars, hybrids burn fuel. They generally use less, however, and so they cause less pollution.

For this reason, hybrids usually score well when the EPA grades cars on their environmental effects. The grades range from 0 to 10, where 10 means best, or cleanest. For example, the 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid, a midsize car, scored 9 for greenhouse gas and 9.5 for air pollution. By contrast, the 2009 Lexus SC430, a small non-hybrid from Toyota, scored only 5 for greenhouse gas and got similarly low marks for air pollution.

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