Challenged by carbon

Faced with overwhelming evidence, the petroleum industry can no longer ignore the consequences of climate change brought about by large-scale, consumption of hydrocarbons, not likely to decrease in the initial transition from a high to a low-carbon economy, such is the increasing demand and worldwide dependence on cheap, readily available, energy. The author, Bryan Lovell takes the view that the oil and gas industry is a vital part of the solution as we move to a lower carbon energy future and he describes the gradual greening of the oil industry in recent years. Given the right lead from government, the industry could play a vital role as environmental saviours by stabilising emissions through the capture and underground storage of carbon dioxide. Lovell ultimately assigns responsibility to the individual as a consumer and to elected governments to take the leadership and urgent action needed to establish an international framework of policy and regulation