You can't build roads without oil

...or make a lot of other stuff

October 4, 2022. I saw a clip of testimony where a legislator asked an advocate about the implications of the loss of this 30%. The advocate literally had no answer and I think it’s safe to assume she had never given it a thought.

You Can’t Build Roads Without Oil by Jacob R. Borden

While 70% by volume of each barrel of oil is used for combustion, the other 30% materially contributes to almost every consumer product on the shelf. Petroleum coke is a main source for the anodes used in aluminum smelting, which requires about 40 pounds of coke for every 100 pounds of aluminum. The same goes for BTX, which stands for benzene, toluene and xylene. BTX is the refinery stream used to make the polymers, plastics, resins and solvents that contribute to everything from the sheath on electrical wires and cellphones, to catheters, IV bags and pill casings. Except for jeans and wool suits, almost all clothing is at least partly synthetic.

If we stop using oil to make gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, we also won’t be using oil to make the other stuff that comes from the barrel, like asphalt. Using 70% of the barrel for fuel subsidizes all the products made from the other 30%.

Thus those who demand a transition away from fossil fuels need to account not only for the resources to make and power electric cars but also for replacing the portion of the barrel that makes society modern. When we speak of material wealth, we largely mean materials composed from the unburned portion of each barrel.