Visiting OPEC wasn’t as informative as I thought it would be. The speaker was welcoming to our group, however, and her discussion was thought provoking. I was left with more questions than answers about OPEC’s ethical stance on issues related to the oil industry’s impact on the global economy, the environment, and peak oil.
My biggest concern with our meeting was how the speaker kept saying that OPEC has nothing to do with the price of oil, and can’t influence it. Instead, according to her, the governments of the oil importing countries are responsible for the price of gas from crude oil. While the governments are, in part, responsible, it is of course ridiculous to say that OPEC doesn’t have an effect on gas prices, no matter how large or small a percentage of the price. During the embargo of 1973, gas prices soared because of OPEC’s actions. After the embargo ended, OPEC then chose to increase oil prices by 10% according to Wikipedia. Obviously, OPEC can take direct action in influencing the price of oil in any way it chooses.
My second concern with our meeting was the claim that there are 300 years worth of oil reserves existing in the OPEC countries alone. If it’s true, why is there so much talk in the scientific community about peak oil and an upcoming oil crisis? Somehow, I get the feeling that the statistics presented to the public from OPEC may be slanted in their favor.
Finally, though OPEC is clear that their mission is hands-off when it comes to environmental issues, such as oil spills, I feel that there is a moral responsibility to humanity and the earth that must be met by oil producers. Without an ethical stance that supports the utmost care and attention to providing “clean oil,” the world will continue to struggle with exponentially increasing rates of pollution. With great power comes great responsibility, and it falls upon the OPEC countries to meet that responsibility through ethical decisions related to our environment.
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