The top source of ocean oil pollution is surprisingly not tankers, pipelines, or even offshore rigging– it’s our cars.

Source: Great Barrier Reef Marine Park/YouTube

According to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, all of the petroleum that is spilled from leaky oil tankers, broken pipelines, and toppled drilling rigs do not even compare to the amount that washes into the oceans from land-based sources, including motor vehicles.

The report found that from 2010 to 2019, land-based sources leaked an estimated 1.2 million metric tons of petroleum each year. They found that 380 tons were spilled per year from pipelines, 200 tons from tank vessel spills, and 66,500 tons from platforms and other activities.

“The top source of oil in the ocean is land-based runoff, at an estimated volume up to 20 times higher than was reported two decades ago. Most of this Pollution occurs through water from rain or snowmelt carrying oil, primarily from cities and vehicles, to rivers and ultimately into the ocean,” a press release about the report said.

“Runoff from highways, parking lots, vehicle washing, and vehicle fluid leaks all contribute. Quantifying exact amounts and the contribution of specific activities remains difficult due to a lack of data.”

The report highlights the need for our governments and agencies to monitor rivers and harbors for runoff from sources such as gas stations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently does not monitor these things, which makes it hard to truly know how much is making its way to the oceans each year.

According to the prior edition of the same report, land-based Pollution is much worse than it was 20 years ago when that report was released. That report estimated 54,000 tons per year compared to the 1.2 million metric tons estimated now.

“The report recommends that the U.S. government conduct a comprehensive review of the integrity of coastal and offshore energy infrastructure to ensure it can withstand more frequent and more intense weather events due to Climate change,” the press release read. “This includes reviewing and updating design criteria to withstand extreme events, assessing the modifications that will need to be made to existing structures to prevent spills, and developing response plans and capabilities for extreme weather events. Agencies should inventory inactive or abandoned oil and gas infrastructure and prioritize salvage or capping based on the impact of their potential failure.”

While we need to cut off our dependence on fossil fuels as quickly as possible, we also must remember another major industry that is causing harm to the environment; the meat and dairy industry. A study even found that meat and dairy companies are responsible for more harm to the environment than fossil fuels. The public has had enough. Protestors in the UK are blocking oil terminals despite hundreds of arrests, and celebrities like Jane Fonda have launched committees to fight political candidates funded by the fossil fuel industry.

Don’t forget to grab this recycled Solution Not Pollution T-Shirt by zero-waste sustainable brand Tiny Rescue and check out the entire Climate change collection!

Sign this petition to demand the United States and European Union heavily invest in wind and solar to reduce reliance on fossil fuels!

Related Content:

• 12 Ways to Protect Your Watershed From Oil Pollution
• Microplastic Pollution in Soil is Threatening Human Health and Soil-Dwelling Organisms
• Galveston Bay’s Dolphins Are Being Poisoned by Pollution from Oil Companies — We Must Speak Up NOW!
• Bitcoin’s Environmental Damage Equal to That of Beef, Natural Gas, and Oil, New Study Finds
• 7 Ways to Keep Your Garden Soil Rich in Minerals Naturally Without Buying Products!

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that are raising awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and important stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!