Many years ago, before he died in a plane crash, the Nigerian academic Claude Ake warned about the consequences of the militarisation of commerce. Over a decade later, the spiral of violence concerning oil continues. Ake’s painful warning has come true. As America conducts more naval maneuvers in the Gulf of Guinea, the Movement for … Read More
War
Iraq War Fuel Costs Soar
So you think you’re being ripped off by Big Oil? Spare a thought for the poor old American military in Iraq that is burning fuel at a staggering rate. Military units pay an average of $3.23 a gallon for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, some $88 a day per service member in Iraq, according to … Read More
Follow the Oil Money
Last week, on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq War, hundreds of people stood with Oil Change International in the streets in front of the American Petroleum Institute demanding a Separation of Oil & State. They know, just as we do, that oil was the central motivation of the war in Iraq, that oil money … Read More
Iraq = 25 million new cars, and counting
On the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war, a new report from Oil Change International, entitled A Climate of War (pdf) quantifies both the greenhouse gas emissions of the Iraq War and the opportunity costs involved in fighting war rather than climate change. Here are some facts on the war and warming: Projected total US … Read More
Solidarity Actions Reinforce Opposition to Iraq Oil Law
On February 23, dozens of solidarity actions were held across the US and UK to support the Iraqi people in their resistance of an oil law that would give unprecedented control to foreign oil companies. In Washington, Oil Change International —in coalition with other US labor and peace organizations— hosted a press conference and march … Read More
Google Goes Green
Internet search company Google yesterday committed hundreds of millions of dollars to renewable energy projects. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google co-founders, announced its initiative to produce electricity from renewable energy sources rather than coal. Mr Page said: “Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity [enough to power San Francisco] that … Read More
Oil May Hit $200 if US Attacks Iran
Just getting used to oil prices around $100 a barrel. Well Thailand’s Energy Minister Piyasvasti Amranand has said that global oil prices could surge to US$200 per barrel if the United States goes to war with Iran. Speaking at a seminar on “The Promotion of Bio-Technology,” he said he shared a view in common with … Read More
No War No Warming!
As part of the “No War No Warming” demonstration 68 protesters were arrested yesterday in Washington, after they blocked Capitol Hill employees from arriving to work. “The link between war and warming is oil” said Steve Kretzmann of Oil Change International. “The oil industry gave $10 million in campaign contributions to this Congress. Perhaps this … Read More
Fight Climate Change, Not Wars for Oil!
Anyone in DC today, please get involved in the No War No Warming day of direct action to protest against war and global warming. The purpose of today’s action is simple. It is to hold Congress accountable by taking over Capitol Hill on a day that Congress is in session. The idea of the day … Read More
Why protest?
Its a very busy fall for us here at Oil Change International. As our concern over both the war and global warming is growing, we’re putting a lot of effort into manifesting that concern into protest. The connection between protest and change is real, and important to understand. In a recent academic study (pdf) of … Read More