G-Oil for a guilt-free oil change?
G-Oil from Green Earth Technologies offers a 'green' alternative for your lawn mower's needs.
(Credit: Green Earth Technologies)Green Earth Technologies claims that it's come up with a motor oil that is friendlier toward the environment.
G-oil is a more sustainable option than regular motor oil brands because it's made in part from beef slaughter byproducts, namely animal fat, according to the Stamford, Conn.-based company.
Green Earth Technologies also claims that its G-Oil exceeds the "Ultimate Biodegradability" standard (60 percent biodegraded within 28 days) of the international standards organization ASTM.
The company says more than 90 percent of used G-Oil will biodegrade in just nine days. That's a considerable claim. Used motor oil from one oil change dumped into the ground contaminates about 1 million gallons of fresh water, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, which has been encouraging the recycling of used motor oil for years.
Green Earth Technologies launched its product at about 2,000 stores in the United States at the end of January. Popular retailers such as Home Depot, Amazon.com, and Ace Hardware are among its carriers.
Don't get too excited.
While the company says it's awaiting approval for a car and truck motor oil, and has tested a race car-worthy version, as of right now, Green Earth Technologies only a 2-Cycle G-Oil and a 4-Cycle 10W-30 G-Oil.
That's good only for use in small-engine machines such as tractors, generators, pressure washers, and lawn motors.
In a software-driven world, it's easy to forget about the nuts and bolts. Whether it's cars, robots, personal gadgetry or industrial machines, Candace Lombardi examines the moving parts that keep our world rotating. A journalist who divides her time between the United States and the United Kingdom, Lombardi has written about technology for the sites of The New York Times, CNET, USA Today, MSN, ZDNet, Silicon.com, and GameSpot. E-mail her at candacelombardi@gmail.com. She is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not a current employee of CNET. 
You just have to change your oil every 8 days.
- by Moonshiner55 April 25, 2009 4:30 AM PDT
- The 5W-30 motor oil designed for cars has been tested and approved. It received SM certification by the API. It should be in stores this June/July. I'll be using it in all of my vehicles.
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(6 Comments)The G-1 racing oil has also been tested on the racetrack and received excellent reviews. G-Oil is now the official motor oil of The American Le Mans Series.