OIl and money, money and oil

Tomgram: Michael Klare, Welcome to the New Third World of Energy, the U.S.
Posted by Michael Klare at 5:09pm, April 1, 2012.

"...Fracking Our Way to a Toxic Planet

Such pressures in the Third World have forced the major U.S. and European firms -- BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and Total of France -- to look elsewhere for new sources of oil and natural gas. Unfortunately for them, there aren’t many places left in the world that possess promising hydrocarbon reserves and also welcome investment by private energy giants. That’s why some of the most attractive new energy markets now lie in Canada and the United States, or in the waters off their shores. As a result, both are experiencing a remarkable uptick in fresh investment from the major international firms.

Both countries still possess substantial oil and gas deposits, but not of the “easy” variety (deposits close to the surface, close to shore, or easily accessible for extraction). All that remains are “tough” energy reserves (deep underground, far offshore, hard to extract and process). To exploit these, the energy companies must deploy aggressive technologies likely to cause extensive damage to the environment and in many cases human health as well. They must also find ways to gain government approval to enter environmentally protected areas now off limits...

Put another way, North America will have to be Third-Worldified."


Raymond J. LearsyAuthor, 'Oil and Finance: The Epic Corruption Continues'
Shell Supports Iran's Murderous Mullahs; Should We Be Supporting Shell?
Posted: 04/ 2/2012 5:16 am

Russia Moves to Drill in Arctic, Oil Companies Follow Suit
Brian Merchant
Business / Corporate Responsibility
February 15, 2011

SUNDAY, APR 1, 2012 2:00 PM PDT
How billionaires destroy democracy
Wealthy Wall Streeters have rigged the economy and the government against the people. Here's how they did it
BY LINDA MCQUAIG AND NEIL BROOKS