Slaves to oil
ENERGY
The argument that world oil reserves have peaked and oil production is in decline seems to have been won. At the fifth international conference organized by the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO), held in Italy in June, the focus of the 200 scientists, economists and academics participating turned instead to the likely result – the end of cheap oil. Colin Campbell, Honorary Chair of ASPO International, began the conference by summarizing the history of energy use by humans, from agriculture, animals and slaves, through to wood, coal and oil. ‘It’s significant that slavery came to an end when oil provided energy,’ he observed. No stranger to controversy, Campbell’s observations squarely confront a vital question: what’s going to power capitalism now that oil production levels are falling? It may help explain the rush in the Western world to reintroduce slave-like labour through falling wages and conditions and rising numbers of immigrant workers.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
New Internationalist (NI) workers' co-operative exists to report on issues of world poverty and inequality; to focus attention on the unjust relationship between the powerful and the powerless worldwide; to debate and campaign for the radical changes necessary to meet the basic needs of all; and to bring to life the people, the ideas and the action in the fight for global justice.
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