by Gifford Briggs, Gulf Coast Region Director, American Petroleum Institute

As the father of three school-aged children, going back to school is one of the most exciting, and admittedly, stressful times of the year for our family. Whether it’s your first day of kindergarten or you have teenagers like my wife and I, we are all asking the same questions: “Are we taking the bus, driving, or carpooling?”, “What is on the list for school supplies”, “Are we getting the kids new backpacks and sneakers?”, “Do we need to do teacher appreciation gifts?” (The answer is always yes to that last one).

This time of year is also an opportunity to share how the oil and natural gas industry, an industry that I’ve been proud to represent my entire career, plays a critical role in helping families across the nation get to school safely and reliably every day, and aids in the safe production of the supplies and resources necessary for education.

For starters, whether taking a bus or a car , there’s a very good chance your family’s ride to school is powered by the oil and natural gas industry. In the United States, 25 million students ride the bus daily, powered mostly by diesel. While some school districts are beginning to use buses powered by renewable fuels, natural gas, or even electric school buses, each of these modes depend on petroleum-based products to operate.

In addition to school buses, many U.S. families opt to drive their kids to school, using vehicles that run on gasoline, or hybrid and electric vehicles which still rely on petroleum-based products, including the materials used to produce tires and interiors. For those who ride bikes and scooters, tires, seats, and helmets are all made using synthetic rubber and plastic derived from petrochemicals. Even the road, parking lots, and sidewalks used by motorists and pedestrians alike use asphalt, a petroleum product for paving and repairs.

Next up – school supplies. Many common school supplies are made using oil and natural gas-derived products that are safe for everyday use. Pens, markers, and highlighters all have plastic barrels and caps and the ink used in these writing utensils often contains petroleum-based ingredients. The synthetic rubber used for erasers on pencils and the plastic covers and spiral bindings for many binders are derived from petroleum-based materials like polypropylene or PVC. Crayons are made from paraffin wax, a petroleum byproduct, and many white glues contain polyvinyl acetate, derived from natural gas.

Laptops and tablets are now essential to student learning for all ages, but their production is not possible without the oil and natural gas industry. Laptops, tablets and headphones all contain plastic casings, wire insulation, and circuit boards made using petrochemical derivatives. Chargers and USB cables feature plastic coatings and insulators derived from natural gas. Even Artificial Intelligence, which is a growing part of the education environment, requires massive amounts of energy which is largely powered by the petroleum industry. In fact, in 2024, 43 percent of utility-scale power generation was natural gas.

Back to school clothes and accessories, including backpacks and lunch boxes, use synthetic fabrics like polyester, spandex, and nylon, which are all derived from oil and gas products. Sneakers often have rubber soles and plastic parts, both petroleum-based. Even items like hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes, and soap dispensers are often made or packaged in plastics. And on rainy days, coats like rain jackets and weather-resistant boots are often made with synthetic, waterproof materials (like nylon or PVC) that help kids walk or bike to school.

It’s important to mention our industry’s commitment to safely delivering these products that we come into contact with every day and ensuring we continue to find ways to reduce our environmental footprint through the development of cleaner energy. We hope this information helps to better inform how your family is utilizing energy products throughout the school year, especially during a time when millions of American families are demanding greater energy independence and security.

From backpacks to buses, the oil and natural gas industry plays a critical role in fueling American families back to school. On behalf of industry, we wish all families a happy and safe back-to-school season!