OIL AND GAS aren’t our future but the way we use them will certainly play a major role in determining what our future would be like. Our over dependence on oil and gas as fuels could ultimately play a catastrophic part in decline of the peace around the world.

 

Recent studies show that there would be a major shortage of oil and the prices could rise to agonisingly high levels. Even the oil producing companies acknowledge that the world will need to develop all the supplement sources of energy it can, to meet the soaring demand. And we should do that not only for energy security but for our own security as well.

 

The major source of energy, driving hundreds of economies and billions of lives should not be concentrated in the hands of a few. That applies especially when many nations with huge oil reserves may have suspicious objectives to fulfill national interests. The world should act now to reduce the monopoly of oil producing nations so that no nation could get an unfair leverage over the rate at which world’s economies grow in the future.

 

A classic case of what our future could be holding for us came up as Russia, Georgia and Ukraine argued over the gas pricing. Georgia, through which passes the pipelines providing gas supplies to Europe, was punished by Russia for its westward leaning. Georgia ultimately had to give in and had to agree to the high gas prices. There isn’t any guarantee that this won’t happen again. With Russia opposing the US missile shield being installed over Europe, it would certainly use the energy levers to apply pressure on EU not to allow USA to deploy the shield.

 

We should try to move towards energy sources which are available equally to all. Adopting solar energy, wind energy or hydro energy would prevent nations from monopolising the energy flow.

 

Concentration of vital energy sources in hands of only a few nations would lead to widespread favouritism, corruption and hatred among developing economies. Our over dependence on oil and gas must end to preserve peace and humanity in the world. We would be sowing seeds of a catastrophe if we don’t reduce our over dependence on oil and favouring nations with huge oil reserves.