steps do you take in your home to reduce consumption of various resources like water Petroleum
Answers
he first step in reducing petroleum consumption is to understand what products are made from petroleum. Petroleum turns up in the ingredients list of more things than most people might be aware of. Here's a partial list:
Gasoline, Motor oil, kerosene, fuels, home heating oil
Plastics (and synthetic rubber)
Paint, paint thinners, lacquers, solvents, floor cleaners, hair spray, printing inks, asphalt
Petroleum (or paraffin) wax used in candy making, packaging, candles, crayons, matches, and polishes
Petrolatum (petroleum jelly) used in medical products and toiletries (lip gloss)
Synthetic fibers like polyester
Fertilizers, pesticides
Petroleum coke used as a raw material for many carbon and graphite products, including furnace electrodes and liners, and the anodes used in the production of aluminum
Petroleum is used in the generation of electricity (from fossil fuel power plants), and in the transportation of products to market
Once our awareness has been raised as to the problem of petroleum use and the products in which it is used, the solution does not seem all that easy. Since petroleum is directly or indirectly involved in producing almost everything, nothing less than overall simplification of our lives and buying less of everything is what's required. The recycling slogan is brought to mind - "reduce, recycle, reuse". We can begin by reducing the amount of energy we use by driving less, carpooling, turning down our thermostat, turning off lights when not in use, buying energy-efficient appliances, hanging laundry outside to dry, etc. We can buy food in bulk to reduce packaging, grow your own vegetables or buy them at a local farmer's market to reduce transportation, and buy organic food to reduce the amount of fertilizers and pesticides that are used.