The funny thing is...

As much as we (and our political leaders) would like to believe that walking, biking, scootering, etc are going to help with high gas prices, it's not strictly true when you think about it. Sure, you'll be saving money by not having to put gas in your car as much, but where I live, it's nearly impossible to get any further than the library by bike--it's not a very bike-friendly town, you see. Also, I am kind of a pansy. We would like to believe these things, but we fail to take into account the vast dependence on petroleum byproducts, and I'm not just talking Vaseline Intensive care.

Here is a partial list pulled directly from my brain of things I use on a more or less daily basis that are petroleum byproducts:

• Polyester fiber--just looking around right now, I see two lampshades, a bedspread, curtains, three blankets, a tablecloth, "silk" flowers, fabric panels in my folding screen, a pink pompom, my slippers, and the majority of my messenger bag that have polyester in them. This is not to mention the shirts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, underwear, and shoes that have some kind of polyester in them, and let us not forget the polyester fiberfill in my pillows and stuffed animals, which brings us to
  
• Nylon. I have at least two dozen pairs of pantyhose/tights/fishnets, forget about the socks. I have 5 nylon slips, various linings in various items of clothing, and a few bags.
• Lycra/spandex/silicone/rubber. You'd think it was made from real rubber, but real rubber is hard to find and mostly from endangered forest areas of the world. The substitute? Elastic manufactured from petroleum byproducts. Bras, workout clothes, my memory foam pillow, all the elastic in various waist/arm/neckbands, elastic cord in some of my jewelry, the elastic around my expandable file, the rubber in my hair ties and on the bottoms of my ceramic pots...
• Plastic. How much plastic am I looking at? My phone, my water bottles, the non-fabric part of my lampshade, my Chapstick, my desk organizers, computer monitor, keyboard, mouse, pens, folders, boxes, CDs, computer tower, plugs, fan, watering can, spiral binding on books, night light, various bottles, stereo, clock radio, garbage can liners, glasses case, GLASSES (polyurethane lenses? yup), push pins, drawers, hangers, curtain rod, little rings on the curtain tiebacks, tape dispenser, contacts, protractor, rulers, book covers, CD cases, outlet covers, speakers, surge protector, even the tips of my hair pins are covered in some kind of silicone or plastic. This does not include what's in the bathroom or the rest of the house--jars, spoons, plates, cups, bowls, Tupperware...

I'm overwhelmed, how about you? Thinking of all the things we use on a daily basis that are petroleum byproducts is startling, really. Should we insist on a pre-Industrial Revolution society? That will never happen. We're addicted to convenience and the thought of going back to a time where you'd raise, shear, wash, spin, and weave your own fabric is, quite honestly, repugnant to me. So, to all those people who think the simple solution is to stop driving big cars and conserve fuel, that's just the tip of the big plastic iceberg, but it's certainly a start.