Foster JB - Peak Oil and Energy Imperialism

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1、PeakOilandEnergyImperialismJOHNBELLAMYFOSTERTheriseinovertmilitarismandimperialismattheoutsetofthetwenty-firstcenturycanplausiblybeattributedlargelytoattemptsbythedominantinterestsoftheworldeconomytogaincontroloverdi-minishingworldoilsupplies.1Beginningin1998aseriesofstrategicenergyinitia

2、tiveswerelaunchedinnationalsecuritycirclesintheUnitedStatesinresponseto:(1)thecrossingofthe50percentthresholdinU.S.importationofforeignoil;(2)thedisappearanceofspareworldoilproductioncapacity;(3)concentrationofanincreasingpercentageofallremainingconventionaloilresourcesinthePersianGulf;an

3、d(4)loomingfearsofpeakoil.TheresponseofthevestedintereststothisworldoilsupplycrisiswastoconstructwhatMichaelKlareinBloodandOilhascalledaglobal“strategyofmaximumextraction.”2ThisrequiredthattheUnitedStatesasthehegemonicpower,withthebackingoftheotherleadingcapitaliststates,seektoextenditsco

4、ntroloverworldoilreserveswiththeobjectofboostingproduction.Seeninthislight,theinvasionandoccupationofAfghanistan(thegeopoliticaldoorwaytoWesternaccesstoCaspianSeaBasinoilandnaturalgas)followingthe9/11attacks,the2003invasionofIraq,therapidexpansionofU.S.militaryactivitiesintheGulfofGuineai

5、nAfrica(whereWashingtonseesitselfasincom-petitionwithBeijing),andtheincreasedthreatsnowdirectedatIranandVenezuela—allsignaltheriseofadangerousneweraofenergyimperialism.TheGeopoliticsofOilInApril1998theUnitedStatesforthefirsttimeimportedthemajor-ityofthepetroleumitconsumed.Thecrossingofthi

6、sthresholdpoint-edtoaveryrapidgrowthinU.S.foreignoildependency.Atthesametimefearsthattheworldwouldsoonreachpeakoilproductionbecameincreasinglyprominent,assumingahighprofilebehindthescenesinestablishmentdiscussions.AkeyeventwasthepublicationinScientificAmericaninMarch1998of“TheEndofCheapOi

7、l”byretiredoilindustrygeologistsColinJ.CampbellandJeanH.Laherrère.“TheEndofCheapOil”predictedthatworldoilproductionwouldpeak“probablywithin10years.”TheCampbellandLaherrèrearticleandthequestionofpeakoilimmediatelydrewtheattentionoftheInternationalEnergyAgency12PEAKOI