"God was on the side of the nation that had the oil." --Prof. Wakimura, Tokyo Imperial University
Russia is one of the world's largest producers of petroleum, natural gas, and coal.
In Europe, despite decades of taxes on hydrocarbons, subsidies for green energy and net zero plans, hydrocarbons still supply 70% of EU energy. And Russia supplies the lion's share of this: 40% of EU gas, over 25% of their crude oil and nearly half of their coal comes from Russia.
Russia is also a big exporter of energy-dependent metals such as iron, steel and aluminium, and is the world's third biggest producer of gold, the money for troubled times.
Australia buys most of its crude oil and refined products
Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was the birthplace of Russia twelve centuries ago, and many Ukrainians speak Russian and feel Russian. If Western hostility to Russia causes more Russian fuels and food to go East to China, Siberia, the Koreas, Japan or Taiwan, there will be a mad scramble by Europeans to replace them.
Australia is vulnerable.
Before we celebrate how the brave Australian Terrier baited the Russian Bear and the Chinese Dragon, we should first check Australia's fuel supplies.
Australia has limited domestic production of oil, rapidly falling refining capacity and only three to four weeks supply of fuels like diesel, petrol and avgas.
Despite having extensive sedimentary basins and world class geological skills Australia buys most of its crude oil and refined products.
Russia remembers defeating two European "Grand Armies" – both Napoleon and Hitler were beaten by cold weather and the lack of fuels and food. Napoleon's horses ran out of hay, Hitler's Panzers ran out of fuel, and both invaders faced starvation and frostbite.
Putin is unlikely to fear energy competition from Danish windmills
"The war was decided by engines and octane." -- Joseph Stalin"Above all, petrol governed every movement." -- Winston Churchill
Putin is unlikely to fear energy competition from Danish windmills, Spanish solar panels or Australian ethanol. Russia is building gas pipelines while Biden and his green friends closed the Keystone XL pipeline (to deliver oil from Canada) and declined to renew US gas drilling leases. USA even became an importer of Russian crude oil and petroleum in 2021.
Russia has a huge landmass. It is the world's largest exporter of wheat and a big exporter of barley, corn, sunflower and canola.
Anything that impacts Russia's exports of food or fuels will cause chaos in world energy and food markets.
Just one wicked winter may destroy Russia's enemies once again.
Australia needs to dump its fuelish green energy policies and ignore its woke green capitalists.
Otherwise it will become collateral damage in the coming world energy/food crisis.
And if the two super-powers of Eurasia do decide that this is the time to enlarge their empires, we will not stop them with net zero energy, wind power, battery-powered tanks, a biofuel navy or submarines on the never-never.
Viv Forbes, Chairman, The Carbon Sense Coalition, has spent his life working in exploration, mining, farming, infrastructure, financial analysis and political commentary. He has worked for government departments, private companies and now works as a private contractor and farmer.
Viv has also been a guest writer for the Asian Wall Street Journal, Business Queensland and mining newspapers. He was awarded the “Australian Adam Smith Award for Services to the Free Society” in 1988, and has written widely on political, technical and economic subjects.
"God was on the side of the nation that had the oil." --Prof. Wakimura, Tokyo Imperial University
Russia is one of the world's largest producers of petroleum, natural gas, and coal.
In Europe, despite decades of taxes on hydrocarbons, subsidies for green energy and net zero plans, hydrocarbons still supply 70% of EU energy. And Russia supplies the lion's share of this: 40% of EU gas, over 25% of their crude oil and nearly half of their coal comes from Russia.
Russia is also a big exporter of energy-dependent metals such as iron, steel and aluminium, and is the world's third biggest producer of gold, the money for troubled times.
