Fossil Fuels Are in Everything from Plastics to Makeup, but Cleaner Alternatives Are Emerging

From WRI

Summary:

• Fossil fuels are integral to producing thousands of everyday products, emitting carbon dioxide and toxic pollutants in the process.
• The chemical industry can reduce emissions by replacing fossil fuels with alternative feedstocks such as electrolytic hydrogen and waste biomass.
• Defossilizing chemical production will require significant effort, investment, and policy support to overcome technological and supply limitations.

Quotes:

• From crayons, cosmetics and carpeting to fabrics, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals, around 70,000 everyday products are made with “petrochemicals” produced from fossil fuels.
• “Petrochemicals” — chemicals derived from fossil fuels like petroleum, natural gas and coal — are present in just about every material that is not 100% organic, mineral or metallic. This includes plastics, electronics, textiles, cleaning products, rubber, paints and thousands of other synthetic products that most people use every day.
• New WRI analysis looks at defossilization opportunities in the U.S. for four primary chemicals: ethylene, propylene, ammonia and methanol. 

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Read the full post at WRI.