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Explore the complex relationship between oil, decolonisation movements, and contemporary climate politics in this comprehensive 53-minute lecture by Professor Adam Hanieh. Examine how oil's role extends far beyond fuel to encompass petrochemicals and global economic systems, tracing the historical shift from coal to oil during the Great Acceleration period. Investigate the rise of major oil corporations like Standard Oil and BP, analyzing how state power and subsidies shaped the modern oil industry. Delve into anti-colonial struggles for resource sovereignty, including pivotal moments such as Iran's oil nationalisation and the subsequent 1953 coup, the formation of OPEC, and the impact of oil price shocks on global economics. Understand how petrodollars reinforced the US dollar's dominance in international finance and examine China's growing influence in eastward oil trade patterns. Analyze contemporary developments including Saudi Aramco's petrochemical expansion and climate politics, while critically evaluating the "Triple Win" concept and myths surrounding green transition narratives. Gain insights into how decolonisation movements from the 1955 Bandung Conference onwards sought control over national oil resources, reshaping global power dynamics and revealing both the achievements and limitations of these independence struggles in relation to today's climate crisis.
