Vilification of the Petroleum Industry

To understand the “enemy”

Photo by Colton Sturgeon on Unsplash

Let’s vilify the petroleum industry! It’s fun and so easy!

Let’s first mention the vast profits this industry earns. Millions and millions! Millions of millions! Then let’s show photos of ruptured pipelines and oil wells on fire. What great visuals to show how dangerous and careless the industry really is. Then let’s go to today’s most popular vilification: the fracking of oil and gas wells. Let’s take the few examples of where this common process has gone wrong and make it seem that all fracked wells behave this way.

It should be no surprise that the industry defends itself when attacked in such a way. Its main strategy is to mention its very useful products, high-paying jobs, the secondary economic effects, royalties and taxes paid to governments, corporate donations to charities, shares held by pension plans, and a much improved environmental record. All this petroleum propaganda skillfully influences the more neutral citizenry not to be swayed into the same thinking of anti-petroleum activists, making it difficult for the politicians to go in the direction that activists want.

Despite the caviling of the anti-petroleum lobby, the industry really does not fear regulations and resource rentals (royalties and taxes). Rather, its fear comes from the thousands…