Fossil fuel reliance exposed: war, hunger, and a global shift?

The world’s economic foundations are cracking under the weight of escalating crises. From soaring oil prices hovering around $110 a barrel – with forecasts predicting a leap to $150 – to a fertilizer supply crunch pushing 45 million more people towards acute hunger, the interconnected nature of our vulnerabilities has rarely been so stark. The ongoing conflict in Iran, the latest in a string of global shocks following the Ukraine invasion and the Covid-19 pandemic, has brutally illuminated our continued dependence on fossil fuels.

The electrostate vs. petrostate divide

Simon Stiell, the UN’s climate chief, wasn’t mincing words in March: