Sorry Catz, but the liberals on this thread don't drive cars, eat food, or live in a house (they do use computers though) because they are all Communists hippies who reject all the evils of capitalism to live in their eco-friendly socialist communes in the middle of nowhere. (One does have to wonder why they even use computers. It would be a blessing if they didn't)

__________________

"You are just stuck in a box."

--Zaro

I'm quite certain they don't use soap, which contains petroleum by-products.

__________________
Job 13:5 (New International Version)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

Or water that isn't hauled up from the closet pond full of scum, because anything else wouldn't be "eco-friendly."

__________________

"You are just stuck in a box."

--Zaro

Is there anything more enjoyable than mocking the pretensions of the hypocritical hippy crowd? I think not.

__________________
Job 13:5 (New International Version)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

I'm sorry but this post reeks of so much ignorance. Is it true that the world has become dependent of oil? Yes. Is the only way to obtain the oil is by way of force and warfare? No. Oil is big money and wherever there is big money there is corruption and dirty politics. The world has become so dependent on oil because of the oil industy's stranglehold and control of other resources. They buy out patents and ideas and shelve them and they use their money influence to quash and distort progressive innovations. ie: Electric Cars, Solar Power, bio-fuels...etc. And to state the life would cease to exist without oil is baffling. With all the uses you mentioned that oil is a part of or is a product of you forgot the two biggest ones. Plastics and polyesters. In fact most of the oil is turned into these materials.
Can we live without these products? Of course we can, we did already for thousands of years. It would be difficult to completely take out all of our lifestyle choices but we can certainly reduce them. Take initiative and don't buy products that contain plastics or clothes with polyesters. Stop driving large gas guzzling vehicles when you have no need for them. Look at alternative renewable resources that help cut down on your dependency of oil related products.

__________________
America's Enemies Are Not Mine

All wars represent a failure of diplomacy

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” - Stephen Roberts.

What patents have they done this with?

__________________
Jones:- We're going to teach them climbing, abseiling, canoeing, archery, shooting...

Interviewer:- Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible isn't it?

Jones:- I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the range.

Interviewer:- Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?
You're equipping them to become violent killers.

Jones:- Well, you're equipped to be a prostitute but you're not one are you?

Engines powered by Bio fuels, certain types of engines and batteries for electric cars.

Read this
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/07/377/

__________________
America's Enemies Are Not Mine

All wars represent a failure of diplomacy

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” - Stephen Roberts.

Who is saying anything about going to war for oil?

__________________
I think America is finally ready for another president with polio.

Oh really? Nevermind that biofuels are contributing, ACTIVELY, to starvation in other parts of the world that used to rely on U.S. shipments of food.

Humans aren't really that important, are they?

p.s. While many of the items you listed are POSSIBLE, in the the future, if America (and Canada, and China, and Europe, and other major industrial powers, for that matter), were to be immediately deprived of petroleum products, the world economy would crash in minutes and we'd all starve to death.

So, until you've totally replaced your carbon footprint by 100%, and your family's, your hands are just as unclean as the foulest warmonger's.

Own it.

__________________
Job 13:5 (New International Version)
If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom.

If you ask me, it's ignorant to assume such a flatuous conclusion as this without providing evidence. What force and warfare are you speaking of?

Corruption and dirty politics is not the exclusive domain of the oil industry. The UN has a pretty good understanding of the rudiments of corruption, too, if you ask me. You could just about support any argument by basing it on human greed. After all, isn't Iran being greedy by trying to extend its sphere of influence into the Straits of Hormutz, and thereby control the flow of oil, too?

If someone had a patent so good that it seriously threatened the oil's industry's profits, it would seem to me they'd make a lot more money implementing that patent than selling it.

Yes, it is, but no one said that.

And you're completely missing the point: which is that any government would be derelict in its duty if it did not protect its people's interests. Currently, the West interests are strongly tied to oil. Accusing Western leaders of engaging in war to steal oil is really rather exaggerated and overblown, considering the prices people are paying at the pump today.