Water that is produced in the process of oil drilling can contain metals that are toxic to animals, called "heavy metals." Heavy metals that are present in water that is produced by oil drilling can contain arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead, zinc, and copper. These metals are polluting the water and endangering the species that thrive off it. Hundreds of species can be negatively affected by these chemicals, as well as humans who eat fish that live in the water, and who drink the contaminated water. We can decrease the amount of chemicals released into the water by reducing the demand for oil. A simple and effective way to do this is to ride a bike or carpool to school or work, in place of driving yourself. http://rainforestfoundation.org/effects-oil-drilling-0

I really like this because many people do not know the effects the oil industry does to us as well as the earth. Not only is oil bad for the earth, wildlife, atmosphere, and pollution, but it is also harmful to people. We need to cut down on burning gas and oil and choose a more healthy form of transportation.

It is true that many people are not aware of the small changes that can be made to lessen on our own carbon footprints, especially in the category of transportation pollution. Some changes include carpools, riding the bus or other form of public transportaion, riding a bike or walking, investing in a vehicle with a high miles per gallon factor for use of gasoline, or using biofuel to power our vehicles. Driving habits can also have an effect on lowering the pollution that cars add to the environment. By simply cruising to stops and driving at a constant rate (even using cruise control on long trips) we can lower the amount of gasoline used by our vehicles. When we lower the amount of gasoline that we consume, the demand for the product will go down, and production will decrease. The environment will thank us as ecosystems become more healthy and less polluted.