Are we all living a petroleum-based lifestyle? Will getting rid of our cars and using bikes eliminate petroleum use from our daily routines? Far from it.
As a recently released infographic from Energy in Depth shows, we are surrounded by petroleum-based products, without which modern life would be impossible. From the moment we get up and use soap and other toiletries to get ready for the day, to when we put on our clothes, check our phones and computers, and commute to work with vehicles equipped with petroleum-made tires, we find ourselves more reliant on this natural resource than we ever thought possible.
As the Iowa Utilities Board reconvenes on Friday to discuss whether or not to approve the Dakota Access Pipeline, one of the questions that the Board Members must decide is whether or not the project fulfills a public need and convenience. It is pretty clear that we all rely on the products transported by pipelines for us to live our daily lives. Through the use of cars and thousands of other products, we show that our petroleum-based lifestyles will continue to be the norm for the foreseeable future, even if we introduce renewables into the mix.
The question that remains is whether or not we choose to use the resources we have here at home to fulfill our needs, or whether we import them from elsewhere, and whether they will be transported through a state-of-the-art pipeline system or on trains. It is pretty clear that all Iowans, and indeed all of the Midwest, have a clear need for the product that will be carried by the Dakota Access Pipeline.
Click here to see the enlarged infographic.