i really suggest you read that state of the wold address its getting good, ive just thrown in a question

Bruce>Iraq's a petrocracy. With the signal exception of Norway, practically>every nation or smashed-nation that has oil is in turmoil, running>scared, rattling sabers, or just plain catching it in the neck. >There's a global war for oil, but we're not getting more oil by using>bayonets; we're getting less.



ME> I feel there i some truth in this however lacking in other areas, having recently relocated to the gulf (Qatar) for my job (Al jazeera),
its interesting to see how gulf countries are responding to cultural change & Eco issues,

there is certain sense of cultural hangover here with many countries (esp in Qatar: those distinguished by benevolent oligarchical regimes) having traveled from
camels and tents to land cruisers and palaces, (incidentally: petrol running at 19cents a litre here) in half a century essentially having shifted from a Bedouin state to a late 20th-century gas fueled Oligarchy, some in turn are mutating into middle-eastern (petro-gas fuled) las Vegas themed holiday destinations (as is evidenced by Dubai and the UAE), or liberal Wahhabist business & media centers (Doha), as opposed to the fundamentalist states Iran & Saudi (often unwilling to change) in this region which are the ones that are suffering from both politial issues,
and a disenfranchised youth that can no longer live the lifestyles of their parents (ones that petrofunded the arabicbaby boom that has since gone south)

thees youth are the ones looking for a change, sometimes looking to live the lifestyle that they can no longer afford, some of them looking toward al qaeda and radical groups,
sometimes looking to lash out against the 'supposed' bourgeois west and the lifestyle that it promotes (incidentally an idea promoted by many of the fundamentalist states
re-enforced by the media out here who dualistically promote the fall of the west and the bourgeois western lifestyle oft presented by US & European TV Series)

these are the nations that have at least one generation that is petrofunded and have known no different, the outcome of the youth growing into current circumstances is not fixed, and is largely driven by government, extremist rhetoric & media that they are exposed to.

also as you say previously a green teacup at a time isnt going to solve the situation, as is certainly evidenced here (god only knows what its like in china and indias growing economys) rampant commercialism run wild leads to excessive consumerism & consumption with 1in2 vehicles on the road are 4litre 4x4s with noone even thinking of global environmental circumstances, (as a example im a lifelong recycler, i was shocked when i arrived here and asked about recycling - i was met with bemused stares- as if i was some kind of crank, the idea simply hasnt crossed peoples minds) all food flown in from abroad, double and triple shrink rapped & bagged, every room air conditioned (i have 7 huge A/C units in my house) yet the housing isnt insulated from the 50+degree heat.

with this in mind what is your opinion on the current euro green taxes on emissions, global taxes on carbon emissions, current British subsidies and promotion of 'green' electricity generation: isn't this all just pissing in the wind with the rest of the 2nd world currently consuming more and more gas/petrol/plastics, or is it just a cynical ploy of the political class to extract more tax revenue from an increasingly more green aware burgeoning European middle class>?