People who don't drive and live in cities don't use oil.
This claim is not supported by available evidence.
Full Analysis
Detailed examination of the evidence
Context#
Some urban residents believe that by not owning a car, they've eliminated their oil consumption. This reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of how deeply petroleum is embedded in modern life.
Evidence#
Your Morning Routine (All Require Oil)
Waking up:
- Alarm clock/phone: Plastic casing, petroleum-based components
- Mattress: Foam made from petrochemicals
- Bedding: Synthetic fabrics (polyester, nylon) = petroleum
- Carpet/flooring: Often petroleum-based materials
Bathroom:
- Toothbrush: Plastic handle and bristles
- Toothpaste: Petroleum-derived ingredients
- Shampoo/soap: Petrochemical surfactants
- Cosmetics: Petroleum jelly, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances
- Medications: Most pharmaceuticals require petroleum
Getting dressed:
- 60%+ of clothing fibers are synthetic (polyester, nylon, acrylic)
- Even cotton requires oil: farming equipment, fertilizers, transport
- Shoes: Rubber soles, synthetic materials, adhesives
- Eyeglasses: Plastic frames and coatings
How Your Food Reaches You
Every item in your grocery store:
- Grown with petroleum-based fertilizers
- Harvested by diesel-powered equipment
- Processed in oil-powered facilities
- Packaged in petroleum-based plastics
- Transported by diesel trucks, ships, and planes
- Refrigerated using petroleum-derived systems
- Displayed under electric lights (often oil/gas generated)
The numbers:
- Average meal travels 1,500+ miles to reach your plate
- Modern agriculture uses 10 calories of fossil fuel energy per 1 calorie of food produced
- Without oil-based fertilizers, global food production drops 50%
Your "Oil-Free" City Life
Public transit:
- Buses: Mostly diesel-powered
- Subways: Built with oil-powered equipment, use petroleum lubricants
- Trains: Diesel or electric (often from gas/oil generation)
- Your bike: Petroleum-based tires, lubricants, plastic components
Your apartment:
- Construction required massive diesel equipment
- Concrete production is energy-intensive (often oil/gas)
- Insulation, pipes, wiring insulation: Petroleum products
- Paint: Petroleum-based solvents and additives
- Windows: Plastic frames, petroleum-based sealants
Delivery economy:
- Every Amazon package: Delivered by oil-powered vehicle
- Food delivery: Scooters, cars, bikes—all use oil somehow
- Your "sustainable" online shopping has a massive oil footprint
Products You Didn't Know Were Petroleum
| Product | Petroleum Connection |
|---|---|
| Yoga mat | Made from PVC (petroleum) |
| Running shoes | Synthetic rubber, foam, adhesives |
| Smartphone | 40+ petroleum-derived components |
| Laptop | Plastic casing, lubricants, components |
| Headphones | Plastic, synthetic rubber, foam |
| Reusable water bottle | Even "eco" bottles often petroleum-based |
| Grocery bags | Paper bags require oil to manufacture/transport |
| Furniture | Foam cushions, synthetic fabrics, finishes |
| Medical devices | Syringes, tubing, implants, packaging |
The Invisible Oil Economy
Services you use:
- Hospitals: Couldn't function without petroleum products
- Restaurants: Gas stoves, food transport, packaging
- Offices: Every computer, phone, piece of furniture
- Entertainment: Theaters, concerts, streaming (data centers)
Infrastructure:
- Roads: Asphalt = petroleum
- Sidewalks: Built and maintained with oil-powered equipment
- Water system: Plastic pipes, pumping stations
- Electrical grid: Built with oil, often powered by gas
Carbon Footprint Reality
Studies show urban non-drivers still have significant oil footprints:
- Average non-driving urbanite: 3-5 barrels of oil equivalent annually (indirect consumption)
- Food alone: ~1 barrel per person per year
- Consumer goods: 1-2 barrels per person per year
- Housing/infrastructure: 1+ barrel per person per year
The Honest Truth
There is no such thing as an "oil-free" lifestyle in the modern world. You can:
- Reduce direct consumption (don't drive)
- But you cannot eliminate indirect consumption
- Every product, service, and piece of infrastructure depends on oil
Analysis#
This claim is false. Not driving a car reduces your direct oil consumption, but the vast majority of petroleum use is invisible—embedded in products, food systems, infrastructure, and services.
The urbanite who proudly declares they "don't use oil" is wearing petroleum-based clothing, eating food grown with petroleum fertilizers and delivered by diesel trucks, living in a building constructed with oil-powered equipment, using devices made of petroleum-derived plastics, and benefiting from infrastructure that couldn't exist without oil.
This isn't a criticism—it's simply reality. Oil is the invisible foundation of modern civilization. Acknowledging this isn't an argument against eventual transition; it's an argument for honesty about how profound that transition would need to be, and how dependent we all are on this remarkable resource.
The person who thinks they don't use oil doesn't understand oil. And that ignorance makes for bad policy.