Many wars and political conflicts are linked to oil and gas. When a country has large fossil-fuel reserves, those resources often become a source of power, money and competition.
Governments, corporations and foreign powers may fight to control them, while local populations often see little benefit.
This struggle over oil wealth has helped fuel corruption, inequality and violence in many parts of the world.
Shifting to cleaner energy like solar and wind can reduce these pressures. Unlike oil, renewable energy does not need to be controlled through pipelines, shipping routes or military force.
Sun and wind are available in many countries, making energy production more local and less dependent on unstable regions or authoritarian governments.
Cleaner energy can also weaken the political power of fossil-fuel industries, which have historically influenced foreign policy and military decisions. When economies rely less on oil and gas, there is less incentive to intervene in other countries to protect energy supplies.
Over time, a global transition to renewables could make nations more energy-independent, reduce competition over scarce resources, and lower the risk of conflict. In this sense, tackling climate change is not only an environmental issue — it is also a way to promote stability, peace and security worldwide.
US policy toward Venezuela is not just about politics — it is deeply tied to oil.
Venezuela has more proven oil than any other country in the world — about 17% of all known global oil reserves.
But even a small increase in Venezuela’s oil production could seriously harm the climate. According to climate expert Paasha Mahdavi, raising production from 1 million to 1.5 million barrels a day would release more carbon pollution than the entire yearly emissions of countries like the UK or Brazil. He warned this would be very bad for the climate.
The United States is often described as a climate leader, but it has long depended heavily on oil — no matter which political party is in power. Republican presidents like George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush had close ties to the oil industry. At the same time, under Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the US became the world’s biggest oil producer and a major exporter of natural gas.
As former White House adviser Everett Ehrlich once said, the US behaves much like an OPEC country. Because America produces large amounts of energy — unlike Europe or Japan, which mostly import it — it has often been reluctant to cut greenhouse gas emissions, even when climate-friendly leaders were in charge.
Oil has helped make the US a global superpower for over 100 years. American oil powered the Allies in World War I and gave the US a major advantage in World War II, when it had abundant fuel while many other countries did not. After the war, cheap oil helped fuel suburbs, cars, highways and rapid economic growth.
But the climate crisis highlights a major problem with oil-dependent countries. While oil can bring wealth, it often also brings corruption, inequality and conflict. Studies show that many wars since the 1970s have been connected to oil, and burning oil remains one of the biggest causes of global warming.
Seen this way, US policy toward Venezuela is not just about politics — it is deeply tied to oil.
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