Petroleum is far more prevalent in our society than most of us even realize. “We have allowed oil to become,” as Jeremy Leggett points out, “vital to virtually everything we do.” We are not only dependent on petroleum for transportation fuels and heating oil, but for a long list of products that we rarely associate with oil. Every day we use and rely on petroleum in a multitude of ways: from the gas in our cars to the fertilizer and pesticides for our crops, and from the clothes we wear to the paint on our walls. Although a large percentage of the oil we refine does go toward fueling our vehicles and heating our homes, some of the petroleum, refined into chemicals, is the building block for many products that are commonplace in our society. Products such as plastic, synthetic rubber, and synthetic fibers such as nylon, vinyl, acrylic and polyester are all derived from petrochemicals.

Examples of products we use (or encounter) every day that contain petroleum are:

GASOLINE Gasoline is used primarily in light- and medium-duty cars and trucks. 45% of all oil used in the U.S. goes to gasoline, which means we consume in excess of 180 million gallons of gasoline a day.

DIESEL FUEL Diesel, unless it is “biodiesel”, is made from refining crude oil. It is generally used in medium- and heavy-duty vehicles requiring a great deal of power and torque, like garbage trucks, road equipment, buses, and trains. HEATING OIL Heating oil is a petroleum product used to fuel furnaces or boilers. In the U.S., most heating oil is consumed in the northeast.

JET FUEL The standard type of jet fuel, Jet A, is a petroleum product with a number of additives to prevent sparking, gumming, corrosion, and icing.

BUNKER FUEL Bunker fuel, which is also know as heavy oil, is used to power ships. It typically contains a high number of pollutants and contaminants. Use is increasing with the shipping associated with global commerce.

PLASTICS All plastic, unless it is “bioplastic”, is made from petrochemicals. Every product made from or containing plastic is a product that exists only through the distillation of petroleum.

SYNTHETIC RUBBER Synthetic rubber is used for car tires and rubber soles on shoes. The demand for synthetic rubber is four times greater than that for natural rubber.

SYNTHETIC FIBERS Polyester, nylon, and acrylic are all derived from petrochemicals. They are used for curtains, carpets, rope and even the clothes you wear.

FERTILIZERS/PESTICIDES All major commercial fertilizers are ammonia based, made from natural gas, and most commercial pesticides come from oil.

PAINT Plastic and oil based paints, as well as paint additives, are manufactured from petrochemicals.

DETERGENT All soapless detergents used to wash clothes and dishes are derived from the petrochemical glycerin.

Additional products include:

PHOTOGRAPHIC FILM Photographic film is a product of the petrochemical ethylene.

PLASTICS All plastic is made from petrochemicals. Every product made from or containing plastic is a product that exists only through the distillation of petroleum.

FOOD ADDITIVES (canned food) Food additives, derived from petrochemicals, help to increase the shelf life of canned food.

SYNTHETIC RUBBER (car tires and shoes) Synthetic rubber is used for car tires and rubber soles on shoes. The demand for synthetic rubber is four times greater than that for natural rubber.

MEDICINE (pill bottles) Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), the active ingredient in many pain reliever medicines, is manufactured from petrochemicals.

SYNTHETIC FIBERS (such as clothes, curtains, and carpets) Polyester, nylon, acrylic are all derived from petrochemicals. They are used for curtains, carpets, rope and even the clothes you wear.

MAKE-UP Make-up, containing oils, perfumes, waxes and color, are derived from petrochemicals.

DYES The majority of dyes we use, ranging anywhere from pens to hair dye, come from petrochemicals.

PAINT Plastic and oil based paints, as well as paint additives, are manufactured from petrochemicals.

DETERGENT All soapless detergents used to wash clothes and dishes are derived from the petrochemical glycerin.

FERTILIZERS/PESTICIDES (show a picture of crops) All major commercial fertilizers are ammonia based, made from natural gas, and most commercial pesticides come from oil.

CANDLES Wax is a raw petroleum product. To find out what you can do to minimize the amount of oil you use on a daily basis, please visit Kick the Habit.