These industries make modern life possible and keep America moving and growing – strengthening our communities, providing economic and national security, and supporting millions of American jobs. As global population increases and as global economies develop beyond mere subsistence, global demand for energy will grow, and refined petroleum will remain essential to fueling human progress.
We fuel the cars, trucks, and busses that carry millions of passengers to work and school each day. We power the trailers, trucks, and vans that deliver goods across the country, and the cargo ships that make modern trade possible. Every day, over 33,000 domestic flights count on fuel and petrochemical manufacturers for everything from fuel to windows, overhead bins, and seats.
In the world of medicine, petrochemicals are used for a wide variety of life-saving technologies, like syringes, insulin, MRI machines, and advanced prosthetics. Every time we play a sport or exercise, chances are the gear we’re using – like shin pads, shoulder pads, helmets, balls and shoes – is made with petrochemicals. Even farming relies on fertilizers made from fossil fuels to improve production and on petroleum fuels to plant and harvest.
More than half the components in the smart phones, tablets, and laptops that connect us are made with petrochemicals. And innovations like high-performance thermoplastics, made with petrochemicals, continue to revolutionize all aspects of scientific discovery.
Petrochemicals are used to manufacture just about everything not made from rocks, plants, other living things, or metals.