AFGHANISTAN:OIL Oct 12 2001
El Segundo Refinery -- photo from the Surfrider Foundation Questions Arise About Role of Oil in "War on Terrorism"

Chants of "No Blood for Oil!" filled streets around the world during the Gulf War when George Bush, Sr. was President of the United States. Now his son is in the White House waging a "War against Terrorism." But where do the politics of oil in Central Asia and the Mid-East figure in this time? Reports that Arab nations will soon control virtually all of the world’s oil exports seem to be a major factor in "Big Oil's" geopolitics. The U.S. Energy Policy proposed by President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney focuses on oil and fossil fuel, even though some energy analysts tell us the "End of Oil" is staring us in the face. Even the Far Right is questioning the Administration's motives in Central Asia.

Fearing energy blackmail by OPEC or new unfriendly cartels, Western nations have sought other sources for their petro-dependence. Beneath the Caspian Sea lie oil reserves though some say they are overrated. Exxon-Mobil (Esso) is heavily involved with the Tengiz oilfield in Kazakhstan. Afghanistan itself is considered by most analysts to be the best corridor for oil and gas pipelines such as the proposed Unocal project.

As war tensions heighten around the globe, discussions about fossil fuel and alternative energy become increasingly more pertinent. With the supply of oil dwindling and its political and ecological drawbacks increasing, more attention is being drawn to renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, deployment of sustainable energy systems and conservation.

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