9 Shocking Things Made From Oil (PHOTOS)

Oil isn't just what fuels your car-- it's all over, pervading every part of your life. When it comes to products, you'd probably be more hard-pressed to find something that doesn't contain oil than something that does. We've compiled some of the most surprising, commonly-used products that contain petroleum. Take a look, and vote for the most shocking.

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Plastics

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All plastics are made from petrochemicals, unless they are are made from sources of biomass. Petrochemicals are chemicals that, you guessed it, are derived from petroleum.

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All plastics are made from petrochemicals, unless they are are made from sources of biomass. Petrochemicals are chemicals that, you guessed it, are derived from petroleum.

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Comments

[N0NDescript0]

05:19 PM on 05/27/2010

Who made this list?

I.E. who was "surprised" that plastics are made from "oil" (a.k.a. hydrocarbons)???

[TheGripester]

03:27 PM on 05/16/2010

A. There is nothing shocking about this list - anyone who has been awake during even the most basic chemistry class or will have seen most of these (including plastics - who really thinks that is shocking?)

B. The slideshow completely neglects to mention the many many vegetable and animal alternatives that are frequently used nowadays - aspirin is in fact derived from willow bark, glycerin is often vegetable-derived, candles often made from beeswax, etc. And a large part of the vitamin market comes from naturally derived compounds.

C. The expression "burning the midnight oil" does NOT come from a realization that some candles are made from petroleum. It is an ancient expression that goes back to when people used OIL LAMPS (big "duh" on the part of HuffPost here) that most often were fueled by whale blubber.

[ko2ko2]

11:45 PM on 05/15/2010

Shocking? I'm shocked I still come to this website

[T4]

01:29 PM on 05/13/2010

this person MUST think we are all dumber than rocks. It is not only insulting but stupid. Petroleum and Petroleum distillates are in virtually everything in our modern environment because they are either a direct or indirect ingredient in the manufacturing process, including agriculture (organic too). The answer is so what? And get over it - take an aspirin, use some skin lotion, take a bike ride and open a bottle of water - it is an integral part of our life and will be

[bleedingheart9]

01:45 AM on 05/13/2010

It's also an industry insider secret that it's pulsing through D. Cheney's cold blue steal heart

[hexenpants]

06:19 PM on 05/12/2010

This article is somewhat misleading. Not all cosmetics are colored with petrochemical dyes, or only with petrochemical dyes. Glycerin is also derived from saponified plant oils. I.. I don't even know what to say about this. A little knowledge can be dangerous.

[angrymanspokane]

05:36 PM on 05/12/2010

Where did you think this stuff came from? I suggest reading about the hemp conspiracy, it's fascinating research.

[LeaderofMen]

05:00 PM on 05/12/2010

This is shocking? No. It's not shocking at all. Our entire civilization is totally dependent on the cheap flow of crude to make into every conceivable product. If we could just find a way to not burn it, we could continue to have cheap products.

When the cheap oil runs out the economy will COLLAPSE. It will irrevocably collapse. And it will happen in this century unless there's political will to stop the burning of oil as a fuel. Only the substitution of oil with another energy-dense product will prevent worldwide economic collapse.

[love u]

01:14 PM on 05/12/2010

Keep up the oil related products information - people need to know. Alternative energy will not amount to more than 5 to 10 percent of the usage . windmills need to be installed and serviced using oil lubricants.

[farmilyman]

04:18 AM on 05/12/2010

Hemp could replace all those items without the pollution.

[jumpingjackflash]

01:33 PM on 05/13/2010

I don't see how Hemp could replace any of those items.

[farmilyman]

12:48 AM on 05/14/2010

Then you need to study more about hemp.

[Renifer]

02:02 AM on 05/12/2010

You forgot to add fertilizer.

[Galong]

09:04 PM on 05/11/2010

Just like the Military Industrial Complex, the oil companies are clever enough to make every state dependent on their product. If we weened ourselves off of oil, every state would have to close down (or at least severely modify) their manufacturing plants.

Oil companies have the means to become the leaders in clean technology and clean energy. But first, they have to learn to care.

[returntoreason]

01:00 PM on 05/12/2010

You can stop buying plastics, synthetic fibers, asprin, pharmeseuticals, gasoline at anytime. What's stopping you????

"Big Oil" is hardly forcing you and the rest of America to continue you outrageous oil consumption.

[Galong]

07:45 AM on 05/13/2010

First of all, thanks for assuming I'm in the US. I moved to Thailand, left a high-paying management job in a big US corporation to live a more low impact life that's closer to Nature. So, FYI, I HAVE stopped most of my dependence on Big Oil's products. I eat local food and buy hardly anything that supports the bad guys.

Now, return to reason... and silly assumptions, please.

[kinoptikation]

07:02 PM on 05/11/2010

it's only shocking when you don't know about it... this was more of a reminder

[CocoHolmes]

04:41 PM on 05/11/2010

Interesting news to share!

[deluxebrand]

04:40 PM on 05/11/2010

Another one is Baby Wipes... almost all brands are made from Petroleum. One that isn't is www.elementsnaturals.com they are made from plants...it's the future.