WSJ Opinion: You Can’t Build Roads Without Oil

October 20, 2022

A recent opinion in the Wall Street Journal by an associate professor of chemical and bioprocess engineering at Trine University discusses how the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 would spend hundreds of billions on renewable energy, with the ultimate goal of eliminating fossil fuels.

According to FHWA data, 94% of U.S. road miles were paved with asphalt, which constituted the bottom of the oil barrel. 70% by volume of each barrel of oil was used for combustion, the other 30% materially contributed to almost every consumer product on the shelf. Everything from the sheath on electrical wires and cellphones, to catheters, IV bags, and pill casings uses oil. Except for jeans and wool suits, almost all clothing is at least partly synthetic.

Those who would like to eliminate fossil fuels should consider the impact this would make on everyday life, not just on the roads.