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Parent Category: Upper-Intermediate News Lessons

Category: Environment Lesons

Written by Chris Cotter

Oil plays an important role in the world. It powers every aspect of everyday life, from trains, planes, and cars; to industry; to the farms which supply our food at the supermarket. It fuels war, too. Only a few people believed that the war in Iraq was primarily about terrorism. In reality, the main priorityfocuses on the control of oil. And it's going to get worse.

Nations have already begun to ensure a steady supply of oil in the future. Canada has built bases in the Arctic, because global warming will open up drilling opportunities in the polar regions. China has invested a lot of money in African countries such as Angola, because they want to obtain rights to drill there. They've also increased the development of their navy to protect oil interests in the South China Sea and elsewhere. Europe heavily depends on an increasingly strong and vocal Russia. America tolerates leaders, countries, and policies with which it disagrees.

Global warming has worsened the situation. As climate change becomes increasingly severe, it will affect food and water supplies. At present, many of China's cities face water shortages, for example. In addition, deserts in the west of China are rapidly growing, and farmland is shrinking. The same has begun to happen in other places around the globe, and scientists grow more and more worried. Water could become a non-renewable resource like oil. If so, then countries will need even more oil to guarantee food and water for their citizens.

It's important to note that many countries chased oil in the years before World War I. Alliances were formed to protect interests around the world, and this led to the start of the Great War. As vital oil and water become scarcer in the 21st century, there can be only one result: conflict.