Mired in crude
It’s been a great ride while it lasted. But the oil era is speeding to a close. Wayne Ellwood on why we need to beat our petroleum addiction.

Greasing the machine
Big oil comes to Washington. We shine a spotlight on George W Bush’s cabinet buddies and their links to the oil business.

A ‘blue skies’ romance
Jeremy Leggett tells us about his background as a petroleum geologist – and why he decided to bail out.

OIL – THE FACTS

Perilous prosperity
Ecuador is awash in oil money. But the country is poorer than ever. Chris Jochnick explains the contradiction.

Hotspots!
They’re here, there and everywhere. But they’re not always welcome. A survey of six countries where human rights, the environment and oil don’t mix.

A convenient confusion
The petroleum companies claim they are eco-aware. But, as Kenny Bruno explains, they just don’t get it.

Daniel O'Leary / Panos Pictures

Shifting gears
A round-up of the most promising energy alternatives.

Action profiles
Anti-oil campaign reports from Quito, Calvados and Karachi.

Nothing gets people’s blood boiling faster than soaring gasoline prices.

Last year in Britain when the price of petrol skyrocketed 2,000 independent truckers went berserk. They blockaded refineries, eventually shutting down the country.

Government taxes were blamed for destroying their livelihoods – and the nation to boot. Similar protests erupted in Europe and North America.

Meanwhile, the UK Government dithered. Petrol stations soon ran dry and, wonder of wonders, a blanket of blessed silence descended. The machine stopped, at least for a few days.

While the truckers kvetched about high taxes, oil executives were pocketing millions in stock options and bonuses: BP, Shell and Exxon last year made record profits.

The lesson? Whining about gasoline taxes is a gift to the oil lobby. Lower taxes mean more petrol sold, more profits for OPEC and more booty for the companies. And, inevitably, more carbon dioxide dumped into the atmosphere.

The debate should be about how we can use less oil, not more. We need to keep taxes where they are. Or, better yet, raise them. But not before we insist that our money be used for the broader public good. That means funding research into energy alternatives. Now.

Wayne Ellwood
for the New Internationalist Co-operative
nican@web.ca