Complacent and addicted

To understand the full implications of this fact, it is important not to lose sight of the role that plentiful supplies of inexpensive petroleum have played in maintaining the American way of life.

Residents of industrial nations live, breath and eat oil every day of our lives. The U.S. burns more than 20 million barrels of oil each day, or one-fourth of the world’s total production. Petroleum is feedstock for pesticides, fibers, rubber, pharmaceuticals and plastics, among other things. Most forms of mechanized transportation in the United States, from automobiles and airplanes to farm equipment, are dependent on petroleum-based fuels for normal functioning.

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