[IronJack]

There are few aspects of modern existence that don’t depend on petroleum based products.

Incorrect. Those products are currently manufactured using crude oil as the raw material. But they could just as easily -- and in many cases, more easily -- be made from any other organic substance.

[Publius6961]

But they could just as easily -- and in many cases, more easily -- be made from any other organic substance.

Oh really? without unintended consequences?
I suppose that in a free market society, the market avoids "the more easy" way because they would rather keep their costs high.

Are you serious?

[Smokin' Joe]

But they could just as easily -- and in many cases, more easily -- be made from any other organic substance.

Of course. There are alternatives, after all.

The current method may be cheaper and simpler, and some manufacturing adjustments would have to be made, but we could always have the ladies chuck the lycra and the spandex and bring back the whalebone corset...