What are petrochemicals? An Overview of the Petrochemical industry
Petrochemical products are an important part of a wide array of industries that we depend on every day. They are used in all kinds of different things, from cosmetics to electronics, and they can be found in packaging products, toiletries, and textiles. The reason that they're so useful is that they are made out of hydrocarbons (chemicals derived from petroleum and natural gas) and are the fuel that drives these industries. As a result, numerous countries depend on their exports to generate revenue. However, there are some concerns over this particular global dependency—imported petrochemicals can give rise to terrorism and conflict because it's not always clear where the money goes when it comes from oil-exporting countries. Without transparency, reckless spending could lead to some dangerous situations. However, the cost of non-petrochemical products is often higher than those made with petrochemicals—which means that even though there might be a conflict of interest with c...