Oil turbo charged the industrial revolution. With discovery of more efficient methods of generating energy than coal and the invention of plastics, the byproducts of oil have been a key player in shaping the face of society we see today. From the more common gasoline, diesel and natural gas to the byproducts like acetone (nail polish remover), oil is a part of every one’s life.

We use oil from the moment we wake up. That alarm clock that wakes us up, the coffee pot, the coffee and bagel transported on a truck, commute to work in a car, the computer made from plastic, jobs creating product that need transportation, foods transported to our lunch rooms and dinner tables using gasoline, sunglasses, shoes… The list is endless. Sadly, some of this list is inevitable to achieve the basic nessisities of the world’s population.

The one thing everyone can do to reduce the possibility of disasters like the gulf oil spill is to use less.

1. Buy clothing and shoes made from sustainable materials
2. Buy locally made products
3. Be a minimalist and buy/use less ’stuff’ to begin with. Reduce!
4. Eat locally grown foods (shop at farmers markets)
5. Buy raw foods in bulk and learn to store them. Buy less processed foods, even if they are cheaper
6. Repair things
7. Reuse and Repurpose before recycling
8. Do a job that creates a product of intellectual value, not just a trinket to sell
9. Sell your car or just drive less
10. Ride a bicycle as transportation, not just recreation
11. Use Mass Transit

Unless you live in Jacksonville FL, mass transit is fairly easy to use. Bus service from my apartment to my job (14 miles one way ) is at a frequency of 1 hour or more and takes longer than a bicycle ride.

“There are no shortcuts to a place worth going” -author unknown