Does Gasoline Contain Animal Ingredients

[Yanee]

Moderator note: This thread is the result of two merged threads started by Yanee on the same subject. This one is clearer, and the deletion of the previousl thread was a request by Yanee. Anyway, any inconsistencies in the replies are probably the result of the edit/merge. -Emiloid


I got this email to add to which may or may not be correct tho it's a pretty big organisation so it should be

Dear Bryan,

We do not know of any animal-based additives to gasoline, save for the fact that fossil fuels are formed from the remains of long-deceased animals. As always, our advice is for veganism as far as is practical and possible, and it is for the individual vegan to make up his or her own mind in cases such as these.

Regards,

Andy Lawson
information.assistant@vegansociety.com

OK this is the first biggie question I have to ask and it's separate because I need an answer soon. Do cars through gasoline use animal derived ingredients that they have to kill to or is it clean up to the point it only uses animals that have long since died (prehistoric). I'm just wondering if I should reduce my consumption of it and take the bus instead. I notice in the wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline) that it uses quite alot of ingredients. I'm just wondering if it's safe to use as a vegan since hopefully it will be a negligible amount. Especially since it's hard to understand the wikipedia article on gasoline production ingredients.

Thankyou

P.S. I just found an article that's easier to understand and it's here http://science.howstuffworks.com/gasoline1.htm


Moderator note:

[herbi]

I think it's a good "vegan" idea to reduce your gasoline consumption as much as possible no matter what the actual ingredients turn out to be. Gasoline is a petroleum product, and the oil industry (through drilling and spilling and refining...) is responsible for a LOT of animal suffering (habitat loss, pollution...). Also a lot of human suffering, and humans are animals too. (Just think how many otherwise completely meaningless wars are fought over oil! Nevermind how dangerous many oil-related jobs are.) And then, burning the stuff releases many toxins into the environment, fouling up the air, water, and soil, and causing even more problems for the animals and people who come into contact with it (or its effects, like global climate change). So, if you have any alternative available to you (walk, bike, take public transportation) my suggestion would be to make a real effort to take it whenever possible. Reducing the demand for (and your dependence on) the petroleum industry is always going to be a good thing, "vegan" or no.

[Emiloid]

I'm with herbi--it may or may not be "vegan" (though that would be because of refinement, not origin), but regardless of that it is best to avoid using it for environmental reasons.

I voted it is never vegan, but I meant it more like "educated, concerned people (like vegans) should reduce their use/consumption of oil."

FYI, the oil we use for fuel contains no animal matter. Although there were no doubt a few animals involved, oil develops primarily from plant matter, like bogs.

[Emiloid]

Mod note: Part of this thread was moved from a previous, now extinct, thread, "Gasoline/Petrol, Vegan?" Sorry for any confusion!

[zatoichi]

i say use more gas. or, it doesn't really matter. the earth will be plundered until we run out.

[letsuaiychang]

theoretically if the Catalityc converter on your car is in good shape and working properly then your car will only be polluting at idle.
Sadly, though, most people don't check their Cat. often enough and especially on older cars it is in such bad shape that it's funtionality is almost at zero.

In addition to that, if we're going to bring up the veganness of gas, we have to admit that the tires on our cars and even our bycicles are not vegan.

The whole oil thing is really disturbing, I guess the people in power are similar to drug addicts... it doesn't matter how many people have to die, how much land is destroyed... as long as they get their oil.
We already have the technology to make better more efficient fuels, so why not?
Oh... because they would loose money. pssshhhaw.

It's really difficult how much stuff around us is not vegan... I didn't even think about it when I went vegan, or years after even. It's not just a diet, it's a lifestyle.
I would love to not have a car... but here in tx the public transportation sucks!! I miss the metro *sniff*...

[grog]

whacky