honda0105

Champion Author
Tallahassee
Posts:15,266 Points:1,142,300 Joined:Nov 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 2, 2010 6:23:49 AM
otoh, if people thought just a smidgen more about the waste they generate w/ throw away plastics, we could save a lot of virgin petroleum for other uses (and making reserves last longer).
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honda0105

Champion Author
Tallahassee
Posts:15,266 Points:1,142,300 Joined:Nov 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 2, 2010 6:22:29 AM
oh yea, and when we all have headaches from the mess w/ the oil, don't take aspirin. After all, that's hydrocarbon / petroleum based too.
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honda0105

Champion Author
Tallahassee
Posts:15,266 Points:1,142,300 Joined:Nov 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 2, 2010 6:20:35 AM
HiGramma: isn't it amazing.
Otoh, I'm always astounded how little the average American understands about petroleum and daily products. All they will say, petroleum is turned into gasoline. No one thinks of anything else.
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Blue48

Champion Author
Illinois
Posts:4,965 Points:1,173,195 Joined:Feb 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 8:59:06 AM
OK!
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HiGramma

Champion Author
Michigan
Posts:1,789 Points:368,580 Joined:Oct 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 5:53:49 AM
I know this, and yet it's still overwhelming how much hydrocarbon products have permeated our lives. The only reason I even learned it is because I've talked with the chemical engineers who work for the petrochemical industry across the river from me. Most of the people around me don't have a clue, and they're not interested. They don't like Chemical Valley spoiling our view and our fishing, and they probably don't like Canadians (in the bigoted sense). As far as they're concerned, that's enough for them to complain about. Yet they'll take their fishing rod and tackle out onto the lake in their freshly painted fiberglass boats, wearing their slip-resistant deck shoes and their polyester or nylon or other hydrocarbon-based clothing, picking drinks from a 6pack joined by plastic rings stored in insulated coolers. Basically, "Fix the problem, but don't take away the materials that make my life easy and comfortable." I'd just be happy if people were the least bit curious about it. Going Amish is ideal, but I won't ask anything of anyone that I wouldn't be willing to do myself ... and not even a lot that I *would* be willing to do if they didn't want to.
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NekoSJG

Champion Author
San Jose
Posts:3,235 Points:571,030 Joined:Jun 2010
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 5:29:36 AM
Petro is useful for a lot of things. I wonder what happens to all the tire rubber that gets dispersed in the air from normal traffic?
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TIGERPAW46

Champion Author
Florida
Posts:5,158 Points:965,885 Joined:Mar 2004
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:45:28 AM
We can't totally replace petroleum any time in the near future.
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DellDude2

Champion Author
Nashville
Posts:6,778 Points:1,655,860 Joined:Aug 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:05:55 AM
Why would I want to avoid oil? Oil packs a greater energy per volume and higher cost efficiency than alternative fuels. Those products that come from oil make our lives easier. Oil is not Big nor Evil.
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YLHandyman

Champion Author
Orange County
Posts:5,008 Points:930,140 Joined:Feb 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 2:05:31 AM
No we can't.
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ED6

Champion Author
Riverside
Posts:7,542 Points:1,469,620 Joined:Jul 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:57:07 AM
We can't avoid oil but pelicans do.
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Bruno44

Champion Author
Texas
Posts:4,851 Points:1,323,975 Joined:Sep 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:46:21 AM
The pelicans are the lucky ones.
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mvosevich

Champion Author
St. Louis
Posts:5,453 Points:1,108,165 Joined:Aug 2004
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:35:30 AM
How did we ever survive without oil?
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Saturn93

Champion Author
Salt Lake City
Posts:6,571 Points:1,488,850 Joined:Oct 2006
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:35:04 AM
Most people don't have any idea just how dependent we have become on oil and the commercial products made from oil.
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comprof

Champion Author
Houston
Posts:4,378 Points:896,175 Joined:Jul 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:34:53 AM
Good reminder.
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grouch311

Champion Author
Illinois
Posts:6,021 Points:1,155,340 Joined:Jun 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:28:38 AM
just like taxes, can't escape those either
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djtdi

Champion Author
San Jose
Posts:2,829 Points:523,805 Joined:Aug 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:27:54 AM
Sounds like a rerun of an old article,but still worth reading.
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runout9

Champion Author
New Jersey
Posts:3,149 Points:959,675 Joined:Dec 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:21:57 AM
As Lady Antebellum says: "Oh baby, I need you now!"
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jadeusa

Champion Author
Dallas
Posts:6,895 Points:1,370,985 Joined:Sep 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:17:05 AM
We do depend upon oil based products.
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plastic

Champion Author
Virginia
Posts:39,340 Points:2,375,260 Joined:May 2004
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:04:26 AM
oh now what would this world be like without plastic!
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uptherefiners

Champion Author
Chicago
Posts:3,318 Points:683,120 Joined:Jun 2006
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:03:41 AM
WOW
what an enlightening article
/cough/
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Quick68

Champion Author
Columbus
Posts:4,844 Points:758,900 Joined:Dec 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 1:03:34 AM
Pelicans don't know that people like BP is out to kill them and don't care how many they kill.
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judgemobile

Champion Author
Ohio
Posts:5,255 Points:1,985,195 Joined:Nov 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:59:38 AM
unlike the pelicans, the oil based (plastic)products which I use will not melt all over me and prevent me from moving around or obtaining necessary nourishment.
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JettaKnight

Champion Author
Toronto
Posts:1,355 Points:1,713,410 Joined:Nov 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:55:24 AM
GAWalv Oklahoma City "JettaKnight - DDT still works better that anything they have made to replace it."
Nuclear weapons kill everything much more efficiently, including us. DDT just takes a little longer.
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Rageagainsttm

Champion Author
Tampa
Posts:6,009 Points:1,447,195 Joined:Jul 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:55:12 AM
Oil is gonna be needed for a long time.
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aldog365

Champion Author
Nashville
Posts:3,150 Points:1,559,710 Joined:Aug 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:53:12 AM
Good reminder of all the things we use in dailey life.
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JettaKnight

Champion Author
Toronto
Posts:1,355 Points:1,713,410 Joined:Nov 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:52:55 AM
GAWalv Oklahoma City "Like it or not thousands of daily products all of us use are from oil and gas. All the way from the antifreeze in our cars to the appliances in our kitchen and the shoes that we wear."
The same plant oils that are used to make biofuels can be just as easily manipulated to manufacture various plastics. It's just a matter of which source is less expensive at the moment.
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GAWalv

Champion Author
Oklahoma City
Posts:8,501 Points:1,724,855 Joined:Feb 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:50:06 AM
JettaKnight - DDT still works better that anything they have made to replace it.
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JettaKnight

Champion Author
Toronto
Posts:1,355 Points:1,713,410 Joined:Nov 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:46:42 AM
CPGas1815 Michigan "Well it looks like the human species may be evolving or is it devolving? Might the day come when one would need a medical remedy to rid our bodies of the petrochemicals that have infected us? We've poisoned our food with additives from Aluminum to Zinc, and we've fouled the air we breath with the tons of poisonous pollutants emitted into the atmosphere every second of every day.
Humans are a very resilient species. We've adapted and evolved many times during the eons of time. But this modern day assault upon our bodies that is causing the quantity of oil to increase is a horror story with unknown consequences. Might humans evolve to excrete the oil in our bodies? One could justifiably argue that would harken a devolution of the human species."
Resilient only to a point. Look how long it took to ban DDT in the western world... but not its' manufacture by US companies in third world countries.
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GAWalv

Champion Author
Oklahoma City
Posts:8,501 Points:1,724,855 Joined:Feb 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:45:50 AM
Like it or not thousands of daily products all of us use are from oil and gas. All the way from the antifreeze in our cars to the appliances in our kitchen and the shoes that we wear. Also the plastic bags at the grocery store, the plastic bottles and jars that have our food and drink in them, including water bottles. Our computers PC/Mac have plastic parts. All from petroleum products.
[Edited by: GAWalv at 8/1/2010 12:48:37 AM EST]
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REKEY

Champion Author
South Carolina
Posts:6,211 Points:1,234,555 Joined:May 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:44:52 AM
We know oil is a must. But we can at least cut back.
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vulcan96

Champion Author
Ohio
Posts:21,174 Points:2,640,570 Joined:Aug 2004
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:44:21 AM
so, even if everybody had an electric car we would still need oil
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GasholeMI

Champion Author
Lansing
Posts:7,773 Points:1,251,690 Joined:Jul 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:40:21 AM
Doing without oil is like doing without food.
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Doosie

All-Star Author
Anchorage
Posts:786 Points:513,010 Joined:Jul 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:39:47 AM
oh, the tangled web we've woven... and the greenies want electric vehicles... but that won't solve the dependancy issues!
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TBONE3

Champion Author
Pennsylvania
Posts:6,393 Points:1,511,720 Joined:Mar 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:33:34 AM
Good information and an excellent reminder of how oil is an integral part of our lives.
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TheSicilian

Champion Author
Jacksonville
Posts:3,026 Points:1,003,300 Joined:Feb 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:30:22 AM
true we use it for a lot of things
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LocalSpyGuy

Champion Author
Tampa
Posts:5,479 Points:1,120,320 Joined:Nov 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:29:17 AM
True, petroleum is used for many different items. However, fuel consumption is the great majority of the total usage.
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CumminsFanOH

Champion Author
Columbus
Posts:1,670 Points:827,990 Joined:Jan 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:28:42 AM
Interesting information.
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panama303

All-Star Author
Denver
Posts:790 Points:267,120 Joined:Jan 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:28:28 AM
Drill baby drill!
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Gary65

Champion Author
Toronto
Posts:1,501 Points:511,655 Joined:Jan 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:28:24 AM
Nothing new there, sad to say.
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joel27nc

Champion Author
Raleigh
Posts:8,162 Points:1,393,420 Joined:Mar 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:26:49 AM
I knew that.
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altima2008

Champion Author
Philadelphia
Posts:5,798 Points:1,273,380 Joined:Apr 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:26:38 AM
You may not be able to completely avoid oil but you can cut down your dependency on it though!
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bobdec

Champion Author
Florida
Posts:6,716 Points:1,324,615 Joined:May 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:22:52 AM
We will never be completely off oil usage
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Buddy2264

Champion Author
Tampa
Posts:9,263 Points:1,894,515 Joined:Oct 2005
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:22:23 AM
Let's cut out plastic bottles and grocery bags first and see how much we save. Conservation keeps your money in your pocket.
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Bonito

Champion Author
Dayton
Posts:13,053 Points:2,547,440 Joined:Jun 2004
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:21:37 AM
Scarry thought here for sure. Oh, my friends and I played with mercury all the time, but we live in a different world now!
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Blue_Cruzer

Champion Author
Lexington
Posts:5,157 Points:1,203,700 Joined:Mar 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:21:13 AM
Oil is part of our everyday life, whether we like it or not.
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tedjm1

Champion Author
New York
Posts:3,545 Points:390,660 Joined:Dec 2006
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:20:04 AM
I did not know. Not something I would expect to be in my system,
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marcGasMan

Champion Author
Ottawa
Posts:3,031 Points:606,145 Joined:Apr 2010
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:14:09 AM
I did not know this
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gj35

All-Star Author
San Diego
Posts:664 Points:473,675 Joined:Jun 2009
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:10:45 AM
All that petro in our systems couldn't be good for us.
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CobraLeader

Champion Author
New Jersey
Posts:267,902 Points:1,200,750 Joined:Apr 2007
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:10:34 AM
... Do you mean that the humans have to look where they're walking? ...
... Strange, it will NEVER happen. ...
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Jarod13

Champion Author
Virginia
Posts:3,470 Points:1,049,730 Joined:Oct 2008
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Message Posted: Aug 1, 2010 12:05:35 AM
As many other have previously stated, oil is in or associated with just about every thing in our lives. Even with alternative/renewable fuels being developed, we'll still need to continue using oil in many facets of our lives. We'll need to develope a substitute to use in all the other items that currently utilize oil in their production.
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