Cut Your Grass and Greenhouse Gases
Ethanol-Enriched Fuel Recommended for Use in Lawn Mowers and Small Engines
OMAHA, Neb., April 19 -- Recent studies show that a typical lawn mower emits as much pollution in one hour's work as a car emits during a 100-mile journey. The small engines found in most lawn-care machines make a negative impact on the air we breathe. Filling those tanks with ethanol- enriched fuel can drastically cut the amount of pollutants released into the air. All small engines can efficiently burn E10, a mixture of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline found at filling stations across the country.
Earth Day on April 22 serves as a reminder to drain all old gas out of your small engines and refill with E10. You'll be doing your part to help clean the air and make the earth an easier place to breathe. The use of 10 percent ethanol-enriched fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 12 - 19 percent compared with conventional gasoline, according to Argonne National Laboratory.
"It may come as a surprise to many that small engine emissions are so harmful to the environment," said Tom Slunecka, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC). "Everyone needs to know that we all can make a difference by filling those engines with E10."
Switching to E10 during the lawn-care season will reduce greenhouse gases and carbon monoxide exhaust emissions. The drop in toxic emissions would be significant considering that the 20 million small engines sold in the United States each year contribute about one-tenth of the total U.S. mobile source hydrocarbon emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The use of E10 is not limited to just lawn mowers. Many types of lawn equipment can be made more environmentally friendly with E10. Weed whackers, chain saws, leaf blowers and rototillers can all run just as efficiently on E10, while burning cleaner. The performance of the machines is never compromised. That's an important fact to remember for the 54 million Americans who will be tending to their lawns this summer.
"Ethanol makes sense for lawn-care enthusiasts," said Slunecka. "It's renewable and biodegradable, and making the switch is as easy as filling your gas can with E10 the next time you are at the pump. It's an easy way to help the environment, and no performance sacrifice will be made," he said.
About EPIC
The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) is an alliance of ethanol producers and industry leaders who have come together to spread the word about the benefits of ethanol through information and promotional programs. EPIC is a nonprofit organization and is overseen by a nine-member board of directors. Visit http://www.drivingethanol.org/ for more information about EPIC.
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