Could You Live Without Petroleum?

Cutting back on fuel and discovering alternative energy methods is a great start for lessening our oil dependency but lets not forget about the millions of barrels of oil that fuel other products other than just gasoline and heating fuel.

The list of products that depend on the livelihood of petroleum is astounding. Americans consume more than 3 l/2 gallons of oil per day just in daily products alone. A barrel of oil consists of approximately 42 gallons. Almost 19 l/2 gallons of fuel can be utilized from one barrel of oil but 21 l/2 gallons are used for our insatiable thirst of everyday products.

There are thousands of material items that would be sorely missed if our oil supply were to suddenly dry up. Let’s see what would happen without polymers, a byproduct of oil, that make-up the items in which we take for granted.

You wake up in the morning, so far so good. Of course, you are a little groggy from lack of sleep. The wool blanket made you itch all night. Who would think that blankets were made from a bi-product of oil?  And the feathers in your pillow make you sneeze a lot. Oh, how you miss your foam pillow.  But that’s ok. Who needs oil? You light a match and get the beeswax candles burning to let off some light. There is no electricity. That takes oil. Better bring in some wood to get the stove going and fetch some water while you’re out there. It’s been a couple of days since your last bath. Somehow, that lye soap just doesn’t feel as good as the soap you remember having before. But then soaps and detergents were made out of oil.

Okay, bath over, house warm. That took about two hours and you need to get to work. Better dress warm and start walking. Never knew that bicycles were made out of plastic, did you? At least you have thick leather shoes, even though they are heavy and quite uncomfortable. Your old leather shoes used to be so comfortable but they were laced with oil products for comfort.  Better than getting frostbite on your feet. Your cotton clothes still feel good but here comes that itchy wool coat and hat and gloves. UGHH! Get going, you’ll be late.

Five miles and three hours later, you arrive at the grocery market where you managed to get a job as a stock boy. Remember when you used to grumble about your boss at your old job keeping the thermostat too low or complaining that the janitor missed a spot on your desk? Seems a little petty now that it is gone, doesn’t it? You begin hauling out bags of flour, cornmeal and sugar. You stock the shelves with glass jars filled with what is left from last summer’s produce. As the day comes to a close, you use the broom to sweep up the floor.

As you walk out the manual wood door, you turn and look around the store. Remember the plastic containers full of every imaginable type of food? Remember the ready-made meals in a freezer section? Remember the ice cream and the fresh vegetables and fruits that came from so far away? Seems so long ago as you put on your itchy wool coat and hat and gloves, ready for the trip back home. UGHH!

But that’s ok. Who needs oil?