If youe seen the 2011 documentary, The Crisis of Civilization, then youe no doubt realized that our trendy society is teetering on the verge of disaster. There are a lot of culprits accountable, but local weather change brought on by years of fossil fuel use is likely one of the more notable causes.
One of the vital rational (and unpopular) solutions could be to drastically scale back our dependence on fossil fuels resembling coal, natural gasoline, and petroleum. The latter can be especially troublesome for our modern society to stomach, nonetheless, as petroleum products are current in a shocking variety of gadgets that we use each day.
To offer perspective on what future generations is likely to be dealing with, listed below are some of the things our kids or grandchildren would doubtless should do without in a world bereft of petroleum products:
Computer systems Since you e on the internet, it may be safely assumed that you e utilizing some sort of pc to learn this article. Whether or not it a laptop computer or smartphone, these gadgets are largely made up of plastic. Unfortunately, all plastics are made from petroleum, so kiss Indignant Birds and funny cat videos goodbye in a world with out fossil fuels.
Medication While medicines reminiscent of penicillin are made from organisms, most over-the-counter pain relievers contain acetylsalicylic acid. In case you haven already guessed, ASA is made from petrochemicals.
Vehicles Whereas plastics only account for about 10 p.c of the burden of modern automobiles, they make up about 50 percent of the amount. Petroleum can also be current in different areas of your vehicle, from the enamel in paint to the artificial rubber in your tires.
Meals Most food products have been intimately affected by the petroleum trade earlier than they ever enter your mouth. Pesticides and fertilizers are introduced to fruits and vegetables before harvesting, after which they e spruced up for the market with every thing from preservatives to artificial flavoring. Natural foods are meant to keep away from such environmentally destructive methods, however you鈥檒l additionally end up paying further for the privilege of being a accountable client.
Cosmetics The next time you e putting on makeup, assume about all of the crude oil that being dabbed or smeared onto your face. That as a result of as much as eighty% of the ingredients in cosmetics are made from petrochemicals, together with every little thing from dyes to oils.
Fuel If you would like your principally plastic automobile to move down the street (which is paved with a petroleum product referred to as asphalt), you e going to wish gasoline. A single 42-gallon barrel of oil creates about 19 gallons of gasoline, and another third is used for jet and diesel gas.
Athletic Sneakers Some footwear are still made from substances like leather-based, but most people put on athletic shoes suitable for actions resembling basketball and jogging. All of the latter are manufactured using polyurethanes, which is one more substance derived from petroleum. Sooner or later, moccasins may be making a comeback in a major approach.
Synthetic Fabrics Your footwear aren the only belongings you put on in your physique that are fabricated from petroleum. Synthetic fibers are cheaper to manufacture and easier to maintain, and theye change into more and more frequent over the a long time. The following time you slip on a polyester shirt or pair of spandex jogging pants, don neglect the place these fibers originated from.
As you possibly can see, petroleum-primarily based merchandise are in every single place. They make our lives easier and better, whereas at the same time slowly tightening a noose round our collective necks. It not too late to make some adjustments, but such actions would lead to the absence or alternation of many widespread items that we take without any consideration every day.
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