Hi. My name is Elizabeth, and I'm addicted to oil. Is there a 12-step program out there for me? Not exactly. Even if there were, kicking the habit would be a daunting task. Oil is just way too useful. Its byproducts are almost everywhere, and my daily life practically oozes petroleum.

The raw, black, gooey stuff is not what's omnipresent. Instead, it's chemicals derived from oil and natural gas that bring us adhesives, medicines, inks, plastic resins, synthetic rubber, nylon, detergents and the like. ¶ So why bother curbing my craving for crude? Because the price has soared, boosting the cost of what I do and consume. And fossil fuels are finite, produce greenhouse gases and leave a toxic trail. ¶ Recovering from this addiction is going to be tough. Still, it's not hopeless.