Few people today give the time or emissions involved in refueling vehicles much thought. Petroleum station visits are typically dominated by sticker shock due to growing fuel prices; not long ago, the typical gallon of gas cost over $5, setting a record for the entire country.
But there is much more to America's reliance on petrol stations than just high fuel prices. Gas stations pose a hazard to the environment and public health, harming low-income and minority communities disproportionately, and directly jeopardizing the cause of environmental justice. Due to America's reliance on automobiles, reversing this impact will take some time. Mobile fueling, however, can fill the void by providing a better option.
Moreover, mobile fuel delivery is more environmentally friendly. Vehicle emissions are merely a result of how long the engine's combustion process is running. "Fleet owners expend 62 hours each year, per vehicle, to refill gasoline tanks," according to Wonder's data. These identical trucks may now quickly return to base once the journey is over thanks to mobile fueling. Also, all of the emissions that were previously produced when going to a petrol station, filling up, and then coming back to the base are eliminated. The advantages of lower vehicle emissions will fluctuate from fleet to fleet depending on a variety of factors, such as distance to a fueling station, tank capacity, etc.
A plan for how the United States can address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the changing climate through the transportation sector was put together by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in late 2022.
Mobile Fuel Distribution is More Environmentally Friendly
Because they are significant pollutants, petrol stations stink and appear nasty for a reason. We hear in the news far too frequently about the numerous gasoline spills and leaks from petrol stations that damage local drinking water supplies and wreak havoc on neighboring rivers. A typical gas station pumping one million gallons annually might experience leakage of 70 to 100 gallons, based on the Environmental Policy Institute. spills may amount to 2,000 gallons each year at a big gas outlet like Costco, which can sell about 20 million gasoline gallons yearly.
Challenge that petrol stations pose to environmental justice
While gas stations provide a necessary service, they also produce substantial emissions and pollutants that disproportionately harm low-income and minority neighborhoods.
There is a 75% greater likelihood for Black communities to be near facilities that generate hazardous waste, such as gas stations, than for White areas. Neighborhoods with a high concentration of Black residents are 44 percent higher likely to be near gas stations in specific. Gas stations contribute to increased rates of sickness, mortality, and pollution in low-income areas.
Mobile fueling provides a remedy
American drivers require both diesel and gasoline delivery to refuel their vehicles despite the dangers associated with petrol stations. Likewise, so do fire trucks, school buses, and ambulances. Nevertheless, they don't necessarily have to rely on petrol stations to receive it. Mobile fueling offers a safer, more effective option by providing fuel delivery service directly to cars, avoiding the spills, emissions, and pollution connected with conventional gas stations.
By reducing reliance on gas stations and facilitating their removal from communities, mobile fueling advances environmental justice for nearby communities. By preventing journeys to the gas station, mobile fueling reduces vehicle emissions by as much as 14 percent and aids in the decarbonization process. Additionally, mobile fueling increases the availability of environmentally friendly fuels not often offered at petrol stations, including such biofuels, which, can lower Greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 108 independently verified on the feedstock. With nearly all of its diesel-powered fleets clients switching to regenerative fuel, which has as much as 79 percent - 86 percent fewer lifecycle Greenhouse gases emissions than diesel fuel.
According to the Johns Hopkins study, mobile fueling has various benefits for low-income areas, including meeting their fueling needs during the energy revolution and enhancing accessibility.
Conclusion: A better energy ecology
The discussion surrounding the energy revolution and decarbonization too frequently emphasizes the numbers over the actual people involved. We must create a clean energy infrastructure that incorporates all strategies that can lessen the impact that climate change has on underserved communities if we are to ensure an equitable ecological and financial future for everybody.
Mobile fueling is a vital component of the puzzle and one of the many channels needed for this. Gas delivery service can accelerate the movement away from gas pumps by lowering emissions and advancing decarbonization, resulting in better neighborhoods and a healthier world.
