Gutter thoughts

I’ve just gone bowling for the first time in decades.   The experience hasn’t changed much:  the retro atmosphere (how could it always have been retro?), the delights of junk food and that distinctive but not unpleasant smell of old shoes, chip fat and sweat.

While contemplating my score (don’t ask) and working out how to improve my grip, it occurred to me that I hadn’t the faintest idea what a bowling ball is made of.

So I Googled it.  And guess what.  It’s made of a form of plastic called polyurethane, which is derived from crude oil.

That shouldn’t have come as a surprise.

So many things seem to be derived from crude oil or natural gas.  Not only for leisure but for more serious applications.  Fertilizer, for instance.

And thanks in large part to petrochemical-based fertilization, farmers have been able to feed a world population that has doubled since 1968.  Despite that growth, according to World Bank figures, global malnutrition and undernourishment have gone down by about 40% in the past 25 years.

Oil and gas are also sources for many of the pills and potions we rely on to keep us healthy and free from pain:  analgesics, antihistamines, antibiotics, cough syrups, salves and gels.  The same is true for medical equipment.  Processed plastics made with oil are used in heart valves and other specialised kit.  Petrochemicals are used in radiological dyes and films, intravenous tubing, syringes and oxygen masks.

If petrochemicals can do all that, why can’t they produce a bowling ball that automatically sweeps straight down the lane to knock down the king pin for a guaranteed strike?

Now that would be a real boon to humanity.

About Lloyd Slater

Lloyd is part of IOGP’s communications team.  In addition to his background in the oil and gas industry, Lloyd has experience from a wide variety of sectors including finance, pharmaceuticals, property and the arts.  He has also worked on major sporting bids including the London and Tokyo Olympic Games.  Recent experience notwithstanding, Lloyd is still no better at bowling.