What your neighbour is suggesting is tantamount to saying "everybody else is jumping off a cliff, so I will too." There's a logical fallacy at play there
I believe there is more to it. Do we have a 5 mile hike to get to the top of the cliff to leap off?
But I do agree that I am responsible for my own behavior. I don't want to be responsible for causing further harm. Therefore I work on eating low on the food chain, reducing my carbon footprint, etc. What I do may or may not make a difference in the big picture scheme of things, but it keeps the responsibility off me. And it may make a difference. Perhaps by modelling and witnessing, I can influence others to do the same. When one and one and one make a million, it does make a difference!
I could hand off the oil to someone else, but have I done my part? How about all the recycling cost. Energy - pollution.
*Gas in my truck to the recycle center.
*Gas or diesel in the recycle truck to the Washington Ferry system
*Diesel of the ferry
*Recycle truck off the ferry to the main recycle center or refinery. Not sure where used oil goes.
*Gas or electricity to off load the recycle truck
*What are the processes to make used oil usable.
Cost to cost. Energy to energy. Pollution to pollution. What is the lesser evil. I use the oil to heat my shop and maybe greenhouse / fish tanks or send it away.
Eric