Life without Petroleum: Could you Do it?
I can’t imagine life without petroleum. Gasoline fuels the cars we drive and natural gas heats our homes. Those are obvious needs that petroleum meets. Have you ever wondered what your life would be like without crude oil though?
Just think. You wake up in the morning to the sound of your alarm clock going off. Oh, scratch that, it’s plastic, which is a petroleum-based product. So you sleep in.
When you do get up, you get dressed for work, except your wardrobe is pretty limited in selection because all those fabrics made from petroleum-based products don’t exist anymore.
You put on a pot of coffee and put some toast in your toaster. Oops. Petroleum there too. I hope you have a wood-burning stove to cook on.
So skip breakfast and head to the washroom to shower, brush your teeth, and apply your makeup. Without petroleum-based products, you would not have the toothbrush, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, mascara, or lipstick necessary to accomplish these tasks.
Next you head out to your car. You can’t drive it though, because even if you do have an electric car, you have no oil to lubricate the parts. Well, that just won’t run very well, now will it? Especially not when that smooth asphalt road you rely on is gone. That is petroleum-based too.
Ok no problem though, you can just grab your bike. Wait.. you guess it! Petroleum there too. So just pull on your 100% leather shoes… you do have those, right? Well probably not.
Gee, that hour long commute to work just turned into a ridiculously long, and probably uncomfortable walk.
If you do make it in to work, you will probably want to check your e-mails and voice-mail. Oops. Petroleum strikes again. Computers and phones are all made from petroleum-based products. So are ballpoint pens, ink, calculators, printers, and most likely the building itself from its linoleum floors to its ceiling tiles.
Should you have health issues, or even just a bit of a headache then you are probably out of luck without petroleum. The vast majority of medicines contain Benzene, a petroleum derivative. Artificial limbs, heart valves, hearing aids and many other medical devices and tools are also petroleum-based.
It’s funny how much we all take for granted the comforts that petroleum has afforded us. It has brought us from horse and cart to the age of cars, space travel, computers and more. The fact is that Canadians do rely on petroleum to make gasoline for cars, trucks, buses, trains, boats and planes. Even if you don’t drive a car yourself, you probably still rely on other transportation modes to ship the products you use daily.
We all rely on petroleum for so much, and it is an essential part of the quality of life we enjoy and expect here in Canada. I know I couldn’t live without it, could you?
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Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!
It’s funny, until I went through thinking about it, I would’ve thought just the bbq, heat, and vehicles. But it’s so integral to my way of life!
Life without petroleum would be drastically different. I cannot even imagine the changes I would have to make to my everyday life. It’s really remarkable that one resource could be in almost everything we use.
No, no I could not! Life is enhanced by petroleum products….I’d last about 20 mins
It’s crazy how much oil impacts our everyday lives, you don’t realize it until you sit down and actually think about it. My household wouldn’t survive very long without oil, that’s for sure!
Hahaha! You’re totally right… we so rely on petroleum right now. It’s good to think about this and to appreciate those who work in the industry – and what we can do to ensure there’s oil in the future too. Thanks for sharing.
I have to admit, I don’t know if I could be without it now that we enjoy so many luxuries that make life so much easier now. It’s overwhelming to think about!
Such a great reminder that we shouldn’t take the slightest things for granted.
This was a great post. Everything in moderation…if we overuse something it’s gone. Petroleum has transformed our way of life and is non-renewable. We should be thankful for what is available to us, but try not to be wasteful.
I got distracted just slightly by the pretty mustang in the driveway, but back on track! those are all good points to think about!
That’s my baby! lol
I wouldn’t be able to last a day honestly, I know that I can’t last that long without petroleum.
Wow, lots of good points to ponder. Thanks for this post. Always infomormative.
Yes. Our lives would be much more difficult without the privilege of having all of these products available to us! We are so lucky!
Nope, I won’t be giving up on petroleum any time soon! I make choices to help reduce our carbon foot print, but also know that I still need it for things like getting to and from work (even on public transit)
Nope! I need that stuff, and didn’t realize just how much until I read your post!
Wow! I just looked around and realized I’m surrounded by petroleum! My wheelchair too! How lucky are we to have that awesome stuff. OMG I have petroleum on my face! *crosses eyes*
It would be very difficult to do but I would give it a try for a short while
Its interesting to think about. Personally, I’m a bit ignorant of all of the ways petroleum is being utilized in our society today!
I’m definitely unable to live without it, but I also kind of look forward to the day that sources of renewable energy receive equal government subsidies so that we can begin moving away from our reliance on it.
Life without petroleum would change life as we know it!
I could not,it would be real hard even to try