The Power of Oil
Thinking Allowed
BBC
4.4 • 997 Ratings
🗓️ 15 January 2020
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Power of oil - Laurie Taylor explores the role of oil in shaping our society, economy and environment. He talks to James Marriott of Platform, co-author with Mika Minio-Paluello of 'The Oil Road'. Their research took them from the oil fields of the Caspian Sea to the refineries and financial centres of Northern Europe. Timothy Mitchell, Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Colombia University, joins the discussion, considering the relationship between democracy and oil. John Urry (1946-2016) also took part in the programme. He was Distinguished Professor of Sociology at Lancaster University and author of a book which pioneered a sociology of energy, analysing our carbon addiction in the light of ever dwindling resources and asking if an oil free society was possible or desirable. Sadly, John died several years after the programme was first transmitted. He had done more than most British sociologists to characterise the complexities of global society. Revised repeat.
Producer: Jayne Egerton
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Take some time for yourself with soothing classical music from the mindful mix, the Science of |
| 0:07.0 | Happiness Podcast. |
| 0:08.0 | For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to exploring the science of living a happier more meaningful life and I want |
| 0:14.4 | to share that science with you. |
| 0:16.1 | And just one thing, deep calm with Michael Mosley. |
| 0:19.4 | I want to help you tap in to your hidden relaxation response system and open the door to that |
| 0:25.5 | calmer place within. Listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:35.0 | BBC Sounds, Music Radio Podcasts. I'm Laurie Taylor and this is a podcast for BBC Radio Falls thinking aloud. |
| 0:41.0 | Ever wondered how our massive dependence upon oil for our energy |
| 0:45.6 | needs has affected almost every aspect of our personal, political and economic life? |
| 0:51.2 | Find the answer here. |
| 0:53.0 | Hello, when we decided some time ago to devote an addition of thinking aloud to the significance |
| 0:59.2 | of oil, well, it hardly took me a moment to come up with a suitable theme tune. |
| 1:05.0 | Images of Oil and the wealth to be obtained from oil and the capacity of oil to generate conflict and war abound. |
| 1:17.0 | My own memory bank includes the expression of triumph on James Dean's face when in the film Giant he's |
| 1:30.0 | saturated with the black oils spouting from his meagre Texan plot. |
| 1:35.0 | And then there's a memory of J.R.'s curling lip as he negotiates another crooked oil deal in Dallas. |
| 1:41.0 | And then I can still see the opening credit the image of the |
| 1:44.4 | pockmarked Ray Barrett freezing in the Arctic as he sought new oil concessions in the |
| 1:49.7 | BBC series Troubleschooters, remember? |
| 1:55.0 | And then, perhaps most vivid of all, the description by Upton Sinclair and his |
| 2:01.4 | 1927 novel of the greatest oil strike in the history of Southern California. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.