Our straight talking Lancashire lass takes a sideways look at the daily news.
Oil rich, morally poor
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They used to say that money makes the world go round, but I think that oil does. I know that oil equates to money, but it’s so much more than that. Black gold is as much about power and control as it is about economics. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Today’s news stories are dominated by all things oil. A dispute with Iran over access to the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf threatens to escalate into something quite terrifying.
The Strait of Hormuz is a small gap between the coast of Iran and the United Arab Emirates, and although it is only 18 miles wide, over one fifth of the world’s oil supply passes through this area. If Iran was to cut it off it would through the West into chaos.
Iran is reacting to European Union sanctions that are trying to curb Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. They are boycotting Iranian oil, which effectively props the dangerous Theocratic regime. So Iran is closing the oil artery of the world, and the world is reacting by sending in the military. It’s a very, very dangerous game that both sides are playing. Did they not learn anything from Iraq?
But oil’s filthy grip on the world doesn’t end there. You only need to head south into Africa to see the devastation that oil ownership has brought to millions. Nigeria is the biggest oil producing country in Africa, yet despite the country’s vast wealth there is tremendous poverty, sectarian violence and mass demonstrations. The country is on the verge of a bloody civil war.
Institutional corruption means that a few people own most of the oil-generated wealth. Coupled with simmering religious tensions and endemic poverty this is a disaster waiting to happen. If the wealth generated from oil was equally distributed then I’m certain these problems wouldn’t be half as bad.
But the problems with oil are also closer to home. Today we read about how South East England faces a fuel shortage after The Coryton refinery – the largest independent refinery – filed for bankruptcy.. This will result in job losses, soaring petrol costs and the impact will be felt up and down the country.
The worst thing is our dependency on oil for energy. It is dirty, it pollutes and it is expensive. The desire for oil creates bloody wars and inflicts untold misery on millions.
But the energy companies who produce the oil also own most of the patents on cleaner technologies, so we won’t see green fuel until the oil runs out. They truly have us over a barrel – be it the barrel of a gun or an oil barrel. It’s the same difference.
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