Octane isn't the only premium
Gasoline prices have been rising lately, leaving consumers complaining about the continuing toll oil is having on their pocket books. But what about what happens beyond the gas pump? Many consumers aren’t fully aware of the significant political, environmental and social consequences of our dependence on oil.
Hidden costs
Ecuador, which exports half its oil to the United States, offers one glaring example of the devastation caused by our appetite for oil. Countless acres of Ecuadorian rainforest have been cleared or destroyed by oil 
companies, obliterating some of the most diverse and fragile ecosystems in the world. To save money, companies have intentionally dumped waste oil into streams, rivers and wetland, contaminating water and food sources in the forest. The accidental spills alone are equivalent to two Exxon Valdez disasters.
Many local people have become gravely ill or even been killed in oil spill-related disasters. Indigenous people like the Huarani, who live in the forest and depend on the land’s resources, now find their water contaminated and communities divided over the presence of oil companies. In areas near oil refineries, cancer rates, respiratory and skin ailments have soared. With the incursion of roads into the forests, communities are forced to abandon their lands and exposed to disruptive outside forces. Oil companies use underhand tactics to bully or neutralize those who resist.
The problems in Ecuador, so far removed from the consumer at the gas pump, stand to worsen in the short term. A new 300 mile pipeline, the OCP, will be completed in the summer of 2003. Backed significantly by US bank, Citigroup, the pipeline already has run afoul of environmental regulations and poses a serious threat to the Mindo Nambillo Cloud Forest Reserve.
You can change it
Currently, the United States consumes 25% of the world’s petroleum, while possessing only 3% of its reserves. Our appetite for oil is growing. American consumers do have the power to help reduce American oil 
dependence and the pressure it puts on fragile landscapes. We can choose to drive cars with higher gas mileage and lower emissions, and demand that Congress buck the oil lobby and pass stricter gas mileage standards.
Using public transportation where available also has huge positive impacts. A recent study showed that 855 million gallons of oil are already saved by public transportation, and that if one in ten Americans used public transportation for daily needs, we could reduce foreign oil dependence by 40% by 2020.
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