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Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet
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Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet

The New Geopolitics of Energy

Michael T. Klare
Metropolitan Books, 2008
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Comprehensive
  • Innovative
  • For Beginners

Recommendation

Oil and other energy resources are the flashpoints of modern world politics, and they will be at the center of future conflicts. Author Michael Klare analyzes energy politics from a global perspective, presenting his points methodically, from continents to nations to oil companies, eventually working his way down to the pipeline routes that deliver the oil and natural gas to consuming nations. Although, because of this structure, the book at times reads like an almanac, the minutiae do not diminish the importance of the story Klare tells. getAbstract recommends this book to oil industry executives and other serious students of petropolitics.

Summary

The Emergence of “Petrosuperpowers”

The world is engaged in an international power struggle over energy, and the competing national interests of developed and developing nations will eventually result in the emergence of a new world energy order. Rising demand and shrinking resources will build new global alliances, many of which will be dangerous and unstable. Nations that deplete their energy reserves will become less important and will lose power to those that are energy and mineral-rich.

The strongest countries in the new order will not necessarily be the ones with the most powerful militaries. Rather, to develop strong armies, countries will need oil. The U.S. military has become one of the largest consumers of oil in the world. During World War II, it consumed one gallon of oil per soldier per day. During the first Gulf War (1990 to 1991), that amount increased to four gallons. In the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, demand has hit 16 gallons of oil per soldier per day. A 2007 Pentagon study found that an oil shortage could curtail U.S. military operations worldwide.

Both developing and developed nations have huge demands for oil. The U.S. Department...

About the Author

Michael T. Klare is the author of 13 books, including Blood and Oil and Resource Wars. A contributor to Harpers, Foreign Affairs and the Los Angeles Times, he is the defense analyst for The Nation and the director of the Five College Program in Peace and World Security Studies at Hampshire College.

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