How to Get the Oil Out of Your Life

The more we choose nonsynthetic materials, the more we encourage giant companies to seek out creative alternatives. I've written about bioplastics. And last year, DuPont introduced Cerenol, a corn-based material that can replace petrochemicals in running shoes, spandex, cosmetics and automotive components.

If we can turn plants into fuel, water bottles and sneaker material, who knows what else we can do with them. As petroleum alternatives become more mainstream, either through innovation or through stores like Wal-Mart (WMT Quote), Whole Foods (WFMI Quote) and Trader Joe's making products based on them more widely available, the more affordable and better understood they'll be.

And the more we can wean our consumer and manufacturing selves off of petroleum and onto less fraught raw materials, the sooner we're likely to breathe a little more easily, in more ways than one.