Why We Hate Oil Companies – Straight Talk from an Energy Insider
‘Straight talk from an energy insider’ – declares the subtitle of John Hofmeister’s new book. And that may well be the problem. Hofmeister, a former director for Shell and a current director of several oil exploration and development companies, has a necessarily narrow view of both the problems and the solutions, and limited insight into why people might actually ‘hate’ oil companies.
Hofmeister’s vision of the future is simple: cheap, plentiful energy for all. His answer to these problems is chilling, especially in light of Deepwater Horizon: better PR and fewer regulations and restrictions for the oil companies.
There is certainly truth is some of what he says. Our economy is based on continued and rising energy use; energy security has suffered from short-sighted political policies; there is a pervasive energy illiteracy amongst the general public; and oil is a remarkable source of concentrated energy which no single alternative energy source will replace.
But while Hofmeister could have chosen to envisage a future rooted in the reality that oil is running out and that our growth-at-all-costs economic paradigm has caused, and will continue to cause, immeasurable social, environmental and political damage, he does not. Instead he cheerleads for business-as-usual, for continued profligate energy consumption and more and deeper oil exploration.
There is a real naiveté in Hofmeister’s argument that we need to understand the good intentions of oil companies and see them essentially as friends looking out for our best interests. It’s a peculiarly American point of view stemming from the fact that in that country companies have the same rights as citizens. But companies are not citizens. They don’t act like citizens and crucially are not prosecuted like citizens when they break the law – which they do frequently.
If we do hate oil companies it’s for a whole host of reasons ignored in this book including destruction and careless exploitation of the natural environment, human rights abuses, land-grabbing and undue, in some cases bullying, influence on politics and politicians.
In spite of its catchy title, Hofmeister’s book is a fierce defence of oil companies which is not really justified and which offers no long-term or visionary solutions at a time when we desperately need them.
Why we hate oil companies
John Hofmeister
Palgrave Macmillan
Hardback
£17.99
- This book review appeared in Geographical Magazine September 2010 edition
