Donald Noble's Website

BP may now be using the slogan[1] “Beyond Petroleum”, but that does not mean they are reducing the amount of oil they are extracting, just how they are carefully using ‘spin’ to make people believe that. Another very insightful article by George Monbiot: Still Drilling, which is well worth reading whether you’re an environmentalist or not, as it all relates to our home we call Earth.

Another point, not explicitly mentioned in the article, is that oil companies want us to think that the oil is running out for two reasons. Firstly, it inflates oil prices, and thus share prices[2]. Secondly, it detracts from those campaigning for a switch to other sources of energy because of the threat of oil running out, because “_they_ have been claiming we only have 20 years worth of oil reserves left, for the last 30 years, therefore they must be wrong”. While we will no doubt find more oil reserves, it is a finite resource (within a human timescale), and finally appears that we have passed Peak Oil[3], and we are into declining production, but with ever increasing demand.

What a wonderful time we live in, yet we blissfully continue with our jet-set consumerism lifestyle. Not that I am trying to wash my hands of the blame, I am as bad as the next person, but I do try (most of the time).

fn1. Although the company name is just the initials “B.P.”, written in lowercase “to appear more friendly” Wikipedia – BP.

fn2. BBC News – Bumper oil prices lift BP profits

fn3. Hubbert’s peak oil theory

This entry was posted on Tuesday 13th June 2006 in Engineering, Politics, Science and tagged Engineering, environmental, peak_oil, Politics, recycling, UK. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Comments are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.