[at-l] OT- Endangered Parks List Impressive info

[jtwilkins@comcast.net (jtwilkins@comcast.net)]

Yes I will be hiring Weary  to do any future papers for grad school when I
get back from my hike. Very Impressive.
JTW
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob C." <ellen@clinic.net>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, March 30, 2002 1:31 PM
Subject: Re[3]: [at-l] Endangered Parks List


> "...I'd still like to see some numbers.  How much pollution is generated
in a
> snowmobile-hour?" Billie asks.
>
>  Mobile pollution sources contribute significantly to the risk of cancer,
the
>  emission of particulates that result in heart and lung disease and the
creation
>  of ground level ozone or smog that triggers asthma and causes respiratory
>  irritation and lung impairment.
>
>  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) estimates
that
>  gasoline-burning engines in recreational vehicles such as snowmobiles,
all
>  terrain vehicles, boats and personal watercraft are responsible for
>  approximately 13% of the hydrocarbons (chemicals from unburned fuel)
emitted by
>  mobile sources.
>
>  As a category, these non-road engines are growing as a source
>  of air pollution.
>
>  In Minnesota, it is estimated that 14% of benzene emissions from mobile
sources
>  come from off-road 2-cycle engines, while 10% comes from off-road 4-cycle
>  engines.
>
>  Looking at overall exhaust, 2-stroke engines are responsible for 32% of
all of
>  the mobile source hydrocarbons! This is highly disproportionate to their
use.
>
>  However, unlike automobile engines, which have been continuously modified
for
>  decades to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, the 2-cycle gasoline
>  engine has not been improved significantly since it was introduced in the
>  1940's. 2-cycle gasoline engines, which take in fuel and emit exhaust in
the
>  same stroke, still dump from 25-30% of their fuel unburned directly into
our
>  environment. 2-stroke engines also emit particulates in amounts up to 45
times
>  greater than diesel engines.
>
>  2-cycle engines are still used in many vehicles - snowmobiles, personal
>  watercraft, all terrain vehicles (ATVs), lawnmowers, garden equipment and
>  outboard motors for boats.
>
>  According to the National Park Service, a 2-stroke snowmobile produces
300
>  times more hydrocarbons than driving an automobile.
>
>   One hour on a typical
>  snowmobile emits more air pollution than driving a modern car for a year.
>
>  Studies show that a 2-stroke personal watercraft engine operating for
seven
>  hours produces the same amount of cancer-causing and smog-forming
pollutants as
>  an automobile being driven over 100,000 miles.
>
>   Each year, marine 2-stroke
>  motors spill 15 times more oil and fuel into waterways than did the Exxon
>  Valdez.
>
>  A 2-cycle gasoline-powered lawnmower pollutes as much in one hour as 40
new
>  model cars. Nationwide, there are 89 million small 2-stroke engines in
lawn and
>  garden equipment directly exposing users to emissions.
>
>   Outboard motors, snowmobiles and personal watercraft can all be
purchased with
>  cleaner, quieter 4-cycle engines.
>
>  According to U.S. EPA comparisons of 4-cycle and 2-cycle recreational
vehicles,
>  a 2-cycle engine emits 30 times more hydrocarbons (benzene, butadiene and
>  polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and 40 times the particulate matter as
does
>  the more efficient 4-cycle engine.
>
>   Other hydrocarbons disproportionately emitted by 2-cycle engines react
with
>  sunlight to form smog, particularly in hot, sunny weather. Smog irritates
the
>  respiratory system and can have serious health effects on people with
lung
>  disease or susceptibility to asthma. Breathing smog can cause permanent
lung
>  damage to children.
>
>  The United States Environmental Protection Agency has
>  previously written rules that phase out 2-cycle engines in lawnmowers and
that
>  set emission standards for most other off-road engines. These rules are
being
>  phased in over the next several years.
>
>  Recently the U.S. EPA proposed new rules for 2-cycle engines in
snowmobiles,
>  all terrain vehicles and personal watercraft. These proposed rules are
weak;
>  they don't set standards clean enough to require the phase-out of 2-cycle
>  engines.
>
>  They also don't require an emissions labeling system to permit consumers
to
>  know how much pollution a vehicle emits before they buy it. You can
reduce
>  health risks to yourself and your family from exposure to 2-cycle engine
>  exhaust while improving air quality.
>
>  Choose cleaner alternatives in your home and yard. Use hand-powered or
electric
>  lawn and garden equipment. Help educate your neighbors that there are
cleaner
>  and quieter alternatives by loaning your equipment.
>
>  If you use boats with outboard motors, personal watercraft, all terrain
> vehicles or snowmobiles, make sure they have 4-cycle engines. Ask your
dealer to
> carry these cleaner, more efficient engines. Reduce recreational vehicle
miles
> by canoeing, rowing, hiking and cross-country skiing as a form of
recreation.
>
> Weary (with help from the internet)
>
>
>
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