Oil Myth, 3,000 miles or not?

I saw an interesting article on Yahoo about the amount of miles in which you should change the oil in your vehicle. It made me really think about why everyone changes the oil at 3,000 miles. I have done it just because that is "what I was told to do".

Not only are people changing their oil more than needed/required, we are also helping to pollute the environment. In fact this article states "Californians alone generate about 153.5 million gallons of waste oil annually". Question is, How much of this oil is due to changing your oil too frequently?

I know many people that would argue one way vs the other, such as Jalopnik, however in the state we are in with oil prices on the rise, we should at least consider the benefits of waiting a little longer than we are used to before changing the oil. Not so long that your engine ceases up, just enough to do our part for the economy.

Or at least take 2 minutes and read what "the experts" say. I was very intrigued by the knowledge and options that have now been presented.