The history of tobacco has been repeated with the oil industry
Letter from Europe: Tobacco offers warning for oil
Moving on from burning fossil fuels for energy will not be easy, but it is ultimately a habit the world will need to kick
In some ways it may be churlish to draw parallels between the tobacco industry and the oil sector. After all, oil was one of the wonders of the 20th century. It is probably the most useful resource that we have ever discovered. The energy that oil contains, the ease with which it can be transported and its versatility are astonishing. But the plight of the tobacco industry offers an important lesson for oil industry executives: whataboutery and a strong PR campaign only go so far. Making good on the pledges at COP28 will be the oil industry’s moment of truth. The tobacco industry knew smoking was detrimental to human health from the early 1950s. As the scientific knowledge improved, the bigg
Also in this section
4 October 2024
Economic ill-health may be a wake-up call to the world about the Asian nation’s shifting oil buying status
3 October 2024
The formation’s gas-to-oil ratio is set to keep rising, but new markets and midstream plans mean infrastructure constraints may not be an issue
2 October 2024
Geopolitical strife embroiling Iran and political corruption in Venezuela suggest little near-term change to oil production from either of the sanctioned states
1 October 2024
Our look into Petroleum Economist's archives continues with October 1960 coverage of another key moment in the history of oil and gas: the founding of OPEC
