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Weapons of Mass Disruption: Fossil fuels and the Iranian nuclear crisis
Matthew Taylor and Paul Ingram, British American Security Information Council (BASIC) – This feature report was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 4. As the crisis between the international community and Iran escalates, the media continue to focus exclusively on Iran’s nuclear ambitions. The nuclear issue is one part of the story. The international…
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Film: ‘Venezuela: the forgotten cost of oil’
Gabriele Muzio explains what inspired him to make a film among forgotten communities in Venezuela’s oil producing area – This feature report was first published in Platform's carbon web newsletter, issue 4. Venezuela’s president Chavez is arguably the only Latin American leader who dares challenge the Washington Consensus and US hegemony over the continent. The…
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The true cost of big bank’s bucks
PLATFORM investigates the role of RBS in financing oil and gas projects around the world – This report was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 4. February saw Britain’s private banks including Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), HSBC and Barclays post record profits. Revenues were boosted by the high oil price and the…
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Iraq steps toward long-term oil contracts
In late January, the International Monetary Fund finally released its Standby Agreement, signed with the Iraqi government a month previously. The Agreement provided a future financing facility, but more significantly allowed the cancellation of 30% of Iraq’s debt owed to the Paris Club of creditor nations – in exchange for Iraq’s compliance with the IMF’s…
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Signing away Iraq’s democracy
This report was first published in Platform’s carbon web newsletter, issue 3. As Carbon Web goes to press, Iraqi politicians are still haggling over the key roles in forming a new government. The outcome will be closely watched not only by Iraqis, but as a recent PLATFORM report reveals, by multinational oil companies, hoping to…
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Signing away Iraqs democracy
PLATFORM’s new report exposes the true cost to Iraq of the oil majors’ agenda As Carbon Web goes to press, Iraqi politicians are still haggling over the key roles in forming a new government. The outcome will be closely watched not only by Iraqis, but as a recent PLATFORM report reveals, by multinational oil companies, hoping to…
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Iraq Constitution lays ground for oilfield selloff
As Iraq goes to the polls in this month’s referendum on the draft Constitution, the fate of the country’s oil reserves has once again escaped public scrutiny – despite their central importance to Iraq’s future economy. According to Oil Ministry officials, contracts will be signed with foreign oil companies during the first nine months of…
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Nigeria Ten Years On
10 years on from Saro-Wiwa the Niger Delta remains one of the world‘s most unstable oil provinces, despite US-UK ambitions. – This report was first published in Platform’s Carbon web newsletter, issue 2. Ten years ago on 10th November, 9 men were hanged in a squalid courtyard at Port Harcourt Prison, Delta State, Nigeria.…
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Remember Saro-Wiwa
This report was first published in Platform's carbon web newsletter, issue 1. On 10th November 1995, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight of his colleagues were executed by the Nigerian dictatorship following their campaign against the devastating environmental impacts of oil companies – including Shell and Chevron – in the Niger Delta. Ten years on and…
