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them to be transported cheaply over long distances via pipelines, 

 and to be more easily converted into by-product chemicals. By 

 1970, petroleum had routed carbohydrates in virtually every product 

 category, except for paper manufacturing. Oil accounted for 70 

 percent of our fuels and more than 95 percent of our organic 

 chemicals. 



Now, just 20 years after the age of oil reached its peak, we 

 are beginning to see the pendulum swing back in favor of an economy 

 based on farm and forest materials. In the 1980s cind 1990s, we 

 discovered the disadvantages of relying primarily on fossil fuels. 



From an environmental perspective, all kinds of pollution, 

 from acid rain to global warming, from smog to ground water 

 pollution, have been linked to using fossil fuels. 



From a political perspective, relying on distant lands for our 

 energy needs imposes very high national security costs. 



From an economic perspective, relying on iir^iorted raw 

 materials v.-hen local alternatives are available at competitive 

 prices, weakens local and regional economies. 



In the 1990s, we may be witnessing a historic turn-around in 

 the fortunes of renewable materials. The conparative economics of 

 carbohydrates and hydrocarbons are changing . Advances in the 

 materials and biological sciences are reducing the cost of 



