Sam

Samantha Leddy HIST*1150 Femi Kolapo 03/12/2012

__ARTICLE 1:__ //Global Energy Crunch: How different parts of the world would react to a peak oil scenario by// Jorg Friedrichs

Within the article Global Energy Crunch, Jorg Friedrichs theorizes that the peak oil reserves will terminally decline and recede. He further suggests that the nations of the world will react and take actions in a variety of ways, which include: predatory militarism, totalitarian retrenchment, and socioeconomic adaptation. Friedrichs was able to predict these possible reactions through analyzing three specific case studies on Japan, North Korea, and Cuba. Due to these countries dealing with oil supply disruptions in the past, their strategies could simply be compared to today’s economy and certain nation’s characteristics. He specifically related Japan’s militarism approach to future prospects of what the United States will advance with to maintain power. With the perception that military is more effective than the free market and trade, the United States, in most situations, will resort to militarism. Continuing with his argument, Friedrichs debates that alternate resources could eliminate the power of the oil industry all together, such as nuclear fusion or solar energy. He stands firm with his beliefs that there is no sufficient replacement that could sustain our ever-growing industrial society, and states that our transition from oil to another energy will be difficult.

Jorg Friedrichs article is a clear parallel to our topic of oil imperialism, and more specifically, to our sub-topic of hypothetical outcomes to an oil-free future. He uses specific evidence of historical events to back up his theories and correlates that evidence with data based on today’s global stand-point of the economy. Our group took a partial focus on the United States relationship with oil imperialism, which Friedrichs covers in his predictions. His views on the U.S maintaining its dominant power over the oil industry allows us to have a new outlook on the reasoning for the possible approaches they may take. With his theories on mitigation, and trajectories on responses and energy shifts, Friedrichs covers topics that reach and investigate most spectrums of future scenarios. The article gave us great insight to our questions on how our society may advance in the future, and ultimately how the world could deal with the lose of a major key-resource.

Source: Friedrichs, Jorg. "Global Energy Crunch: How different parts of the world would react to a peak oil scenario." Apr. (2010). Web. 2012.

__ARTICLE 2:__ //Peak Oil and Energy Imperialism// by John Bellamy Foster

Within the article Peak Oil and Energy Imperialism, John Bellamy Foster presents ideas on the causes and reasoning for rising militarism and imperialism. He blames these unethical advances mainly on the dominant global interests of gaining control over world oil supplies, and becoming and ultimate superpower in the oil industry. He argues that the issue does not lie with the breaking point of peak oil but rather in our out of control social system, and more specifically, U.S imperialism. Using various sources, he analyzes the geopolitics and history of U.S actions in their urgency to control energy supplies. In covering the history of past attacks and wars, such as in Iraq and Iran, he gives reason to why the United States will continue to advance with a military approach. Foster warns society of the dangerous new era of imperialism that is fast approaching. With the U.S continuing to ask for their nations support to push imperialism, they have neglected their focus on the efforts to make oil a benign force. Foster notes the irony between the peak oil crisis and the worlds rapid climate change. He argues that unless emissions are reduced a “global catastrophe awaits” and we desperately need to take new actions in turning to advanced energies to ensure communal well-being. In stating this, Foster gives awareness to not just the oil crisis; He also fears the dangers of not pursuing an alternate resource, and ultimately the possible outcomes of falling under the powers of the U.S.

John Foster’s article on U.S Imperialism demonstrates clear relevance to our topic of oil imperialism, and the potential ways in which we may proceed in the future. By focusing primarily on the dominant model of the U.S, it allowed us to fully grasp the possible outcomes in the next few decades, and to be able to share Foster’s theoretical views. In incorporating the need for future change and finding an alternate resource, he proposes possible ways to prevent the global crisis that lays before us. Foster was able to express various viewpoints from a variety of sources to back up his argument. In doing this, it ensured his views were shared by others, and also concludes that U.S imperialism is a concern to many. He uses historical events within the United States past to support his theories on why their nation will continue to use military. With Foster posing the question of when peak oil will become reality, he clearly puts the future into perspective. With the predictions of peak oil in the near future, Foster gives us incentives to push for an alternate resource and to avoid imperialism at any means possible.

Source: Foster, John Bellamy. "Peak Oil and Energy Imperialism." Mar. (2005). Web. 2012.