what got me thinking about this

It started out when I noticed this on an ad for Seventh Generation dish liquid:

"If every household in the U.S. replaced just one bottle of 25oz petroleum-based dishwashing liquid with our plant-derived product, we could save enough oil to heat and cool 7,400 U.S. homes for a year."

As it happens, my favorite dish liquid is a plant-derived productcalled Sun & Earth, and I've used it for years.  I like it because of the way it works, and the way it makes my hands feel, and because I'm not worried about what's in it contaminating my household or the water system.  It had also crossed my mind that by not purchasing the alternative (petroleum-based) product, I was diminishing our dependence on oil. But really, how big of an impact could one dish wash purchase make?


Seeing the Seventh Generation ad was an ah-ha! moment.  It made me realize that although the petroleum in one bottle of dish liquid more or less might not seem like it would make much of an impact, I was forgetting the multiplier effect.  So I continue to use the Sun & Earth, and have switched almost exclusively to plant-based cleaners of every kind, and I encourage everyone I can to do the same.  (Although my husband drew the line at buying dish liquid to all of our friends and family as holiday gifts.)