A blessing and a curse?

TO WHAT extent do industrialized na­tions depend on oil and its products? Oil – and natural gas – are essential to them, and this has created, as Daniel Yergin states in his book The Prize, a "Hydrocarbon Society." Just think of heating oil, greases,¹ waxes, asphalts, and the items made from petrochemicals – aircraft, au­tomobiles, boats, adhesives,² paint, polyester clothes, sneakers, toys, dyes, aspirin, deodor­ant, makeup, recording discs, computers, TVs, telephones. Every day many people use a num­ber of the over 4,000 oil-derived products or items that shape³ modern life. But what about the harm to the fabric of life⁴ that has character­ized the history of oil since its beginning?

¹ grease - смазочное вещество

² adhesive - клейкая лента

³ shape - придавать форму

⁴ fabric of life - основа жизни

1. To what extent do industrialized countries depend on oil and its products?

2. What items are made from petrochemicals?

3. Do we use them in our everyday life?

4. What about the harm of them to our life?

A King That "Does Not Rule Benevolently¹

By the end of 1940, when war between Romania and Hungary seemed imminent,² Nazi³ dictator Adolf Hitler was quick to act as arbitrator.⁴ A ges­ture of goodwill? What Hitler really wanted to prevent was having Romanian oil wells fall under the control of the Soviet Union. Oil was also a major factor in the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the inclusion of other nations in the counter-offensive. By no means⁵ are these isolated events. So many times the determination⁶ to control oil has been the cause of conflict and suffering. Not only is oil essential to modern life but it is also deeply rooted in the very heart of politics and the special interests of a few powerful people. As the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) recently stated, oil is not an ordinary product but "a strategic asset⁷." Oil has been used between nations for political le­verage,⁸ through embargoes⁹ and sanctions. In addition, oil wells, refineries, and tankers have been the target of terrorist attacks – often caus­ing terrible damage to the environment. The oil industry has been accused of adding to the damage done to the environment by car­bon dioxide emissions,¹⁰ which may contribute to global climate change. According to a report from PEMEX (Mexican Petroleums), one of the world's biggest oil enterprises, contaminants¹¹ are emitted during various phases of petroleum processing. Although gasolines are cleaner now – nearly six years after the Kyoto Protocol, when 161 nations met to take steps to reduce the threat of global climate warming – many feel that little has changed. On the other hand, OPEC says that "oil is the creator of the wealth and prosperity en­joyed today" by many countries. But is this always the case? Some would point to damage, that has resulted from the drilling of oil wells and the construction of pipelines. Others might point to the increasing number of

unem­ployed in Saudi Arabia, the country richest in oil deposits. Alt" Rodriguez Araqne, president of OPEC, says: "The governments of the industri­alized nations are taking enormous advantage of the sacrifices¹³ which they demand of produc­ers; refiners and consumers." CorpWatch, an organization that works to hold corporations accountable¹⁴ on issues such as en­vironmental justice, states: "Oil is still King. But it does not rule benevolently." What will be the future for oil?

¹ benevolently - великодушно

² imminent - неминуемый

³ Nazi - нацистский

⁴ arbitrator - третейский судья

⁵ by no means - никоим образом не

⁶ determination - стремление

⁷ asset - имущество

⁸ leverage – рычаг (средство для достижения цели)

⁹ embargo - эмбарго (юридический запрет на осуществление торговой деятельности)

¹⁰ emission - (зд.) выброс

¹¹ contaminant - загрязняющее вещество

¹² target – цель

¹³ sacrifice – жертва

¹⁴ accountable – ответственный

1. Is oil an ordinary product or a “strategies asset”?

2. Does the oil industry add to the damage done to the environment?

3. How does it occur?

4. Is oil the creator of the wealth and prosperity? Is this always the case?