1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:09,120 Speaker 1: Black Gold, Texas t milkshakes, milkshakes, gasolaid like lemonade, but gasoline. 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: That's what we're talking about, big oil. Honestly, this is 3 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: one of the ones that we thought when we were 4 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: first recording this, Matt, you and I thought, are we 5 00:00:19,960 --> 00:00:22,080 Speaker 1: gonna get in trouble for this one? You know, we 6 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: didn't get our hands slapped, but we cannot confirm or 7 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: deny any you know, strange cars, people in boiler suits 8 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: with briefcases walking around following us. Um No, we didn't 9 00:00:40,320 --> 00:00:42,120 Speaker 1: officially get in trouble for this one, but there's some 10 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:48,320 Speaker 1: murky stuff going on in those uh black depths below 11 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,560 Speaker 1: the earth that are just filled with oil. Yeah, and 12 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: in the foggy corporate boardrooms where their masters hold courts. 13 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: Which sounds a little hyperbolic, but chat, fellow conspiracy realists. 14 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:05,720 Speaker 1: When you listening to today's classic episode, we hope you 15 00:01:05,880 --> 00:01:10,400 Speaker 1: enjoy the sweet summer children of the young Matt and 16 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: the young Ben. Because we recorded this before a lot 17 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: of revelations came out, before it was conclusively proven that 18 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: oil companies. Um, I knew what they knew when they 19 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: knew it, so before I knew what sweet was, Yes, Uh, 20 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: so kick back and enjoy from UFOs two Ghosts and 21 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: Government cover Ups. History is really with unexplained events. You 22 00:01:38,560 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 1: can turn back now or learn the stuff they don't 23 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 1: want you to now. Hello, and welcome back to the show. 24 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: My name is Matt and my name is Ben. I 25 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: have a little bit of a story to open the 26 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: show up with. If you'd like that, I'd love it. 27 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:58,400 Speaker 1: All right, great good, that worked out. So once upon 28 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,280 Speaker 1: a time, right be where we record this podcast. Uh, 29 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 1: you are already here in the office. I am, I've 30 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: I've written an outline. I'm driving up to the office 31 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: when I noticed the traffic has slammed. And there's something 32 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: about driving that makes us all a little bit inhumane. 33 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,359 Speaker 1: You know, you you see a big car accident, and 34 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: your first question is not are they okay? Your first 35 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 1: question is why the hell would somebody get in my way? 36 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: I've got important places to go and things to do. 37 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: Those cholupas don't eat themselves, right. But we rarely, you know, 38 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: we rarely ask are those people okay? Or something like that. 39 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:45,560 Speaker 1: But I noticed as I took these absurd, labyrinthine back roads, 40 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,160 Speaker 1: I noticed that the interstate was pretty much at a standstill. 41 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: And this one car had overturned, so the entirety of 42 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: the northbound side of the interstate was closed. And it 43 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: made me think yet again about how dependent our society 44 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:08,160 Speaker 1: is on cars, and how dependent our society is on oil. 45 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: So oil black gold, Texas t well limitell store about 46 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: a man named Jed. So where does it come from? It's, uh, well, 47 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: a little stuff of genius there. Um, Well, it's petroleum. Yeah, 48 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: that's what we generally call the oil that we use 49 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: in our vehicles, at least here in the US. Petrol um. 50 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:34,400 Speaker 1: It's a refined version of crude oil. Um. The word 51 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: comes from the Greek petro, which means rock. And then 52 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: I don't know how to say this lay on. I 53 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 1: think the l A I n, which means oil. I've 54 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:47,320 Speaker 1: seen it referred to as specifically olive oil. So petroleum 55 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:51,400 Speaker 1: is literally rock oil or rocks oil. And the use 56 00:03:51,400 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 1: of this phrase dates way back to the tenth century. 57 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: This is something that has been used for a while. 58 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,600 Speaker 1: Petroleum is a naturally occurring liqu with It can be 59 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: anywhere from a yellowish color all the way to pitch black. 60 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: You find it, of course beneath the surface of earth, 61 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: but not all oil is made equally. It can consist 62 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: of varying hydrocarbons and a lot of other organic compounds 63 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 1: that can either increase or decrease I guess the purity 64 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,679 Speaker 1: of the or the ability to burn. Right, Yeah, great point, 65 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,800 Speaker 1: because that's why there are so many different terms for oil, 66 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:32,480 Speaker 1: like sweet crewed sweet Texas crew. Um. We should also 67 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: point out how oil is formed. You often here that 68 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: oil is dinosaur juice. Well, we have some good news. 69 00:04:40,760 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: There is a grain of truth to it. Oil forms 70 00:04:43,160 --> 00:04:46,080 Speaker 1: when large amounts of dead organisms are buried beneath rock 71 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: and subjected to a lot of heat and a lot 72 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:50,400 Speaker 1: of pressure, the same way that coal transforms to a 73 00:04:50,480 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: diamond or a similar way. Uh. Usually though, most of 74 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:57,440 Speaker 1: these organisms that we're talking about are just a great 75 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: mass of very tiny things. Yeah, you're talking about zooplankton, 76 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: algae and other things. And you know, sure, there's some 77 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:07,279 Speaker 1: dinosaur juice in your oil, maybe a little bit, but 78 00:05:07,440 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 1: not nearly as much as you were probably told as 79 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: a kid, or at least jokingly told, and then you 80 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 1: just took it, like me to be true. Those guys 81 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: at Royal, Dutch Shell and BP and Standard Oil all 82 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:23,360 Speaker 1: missed their chance man to sell dino juice. You know, 83 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: I would love for there to be a dino juice 84 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: corporation that overthrows countries. Just the name change would make 85 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: a difference. Spoilers, Uh, So today we know that there 86 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: are numerous different types of oil, and the vast majority 87 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: of these are retrieved through some sort of drilling or 88 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: underground extraction method. There are historically natural oil springs, but 89 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: they're quite rare. So this idea we have of a 90 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: beach soaked with oil and hopeless liking otters and what's 91 00:05:55,040 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 1: another thing? Uh? And the animals, yeah, you know, definitely birds. Yeah, 92 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:05,039 Speaker 1: that could have happened thousands of years ago as well, 93 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:10,200 Speaker 1: and naturally and naturally so humans have used oil since 94 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:13,760 Speaker 1: ancient times. But but how ancient right? Uh? It goes 95 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,520 Speaker 1: back to three forty seven a d back in China, 96 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: when they're the earliest wells known at least were drilled. China, 97 00:06:21,640 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 1: you invented everything that's true today. Oils used for all 98 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:29,400 Speaker 1: kinds of things, from gasoline for vehicles to asphalts so 99 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:35,000 Speaker 1: that vehicles can drive on things, to plastics pharmaceuticals, especially plastics. 100 00:06:35,000 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: If you think about just the number of things in 101 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:40,000 Speaker 1: whatever room you're sitting in or walking past, there's so 102 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,760 Speaker 1: many oil. The oil was made to use pretty much 103 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: everything you're looking at. Um, the world is completely and 104 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 1: utterly addicted to the stuff. What do you mean, Well again, 105 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: think think about this. We consume ninety million barrels of 106 00:06:58,600 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: oil each year. That's and that's globally. Um, it's a 107 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:07,479 Speaker 1: fairly huge number. And what we are realizing now more 108 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: and more is that this supply of this stuff is 109 00:07:11,520 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: becoming more and more. Well, it is finite, but it's 110 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: becoming less and less. It's dwindling. It's dwindling. But there 111 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: are people who would argue that it's not dwindling. They're 112 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:25,120 Speaker 1: all these unlocked vaults of oil around the world. However, 113 00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: and we're going to get into that. But you know, you, 114 00:07:30,040 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: it isn't created in a fast way, right, as we said, 115 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: it takes a long process to create the stuff. Like 116 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: one of the reasons that we often are able to 117 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,520 Speaker 1: have clean drinking water in so many parts of the 118 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:46,120 Speaker 1: world is that there is a water cycle. No Now, 119 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: of course I'm not downplaying human ingenuity, but my point 120 00:07:49,720 --> 00:07:53,160 Speaker 1: is that this water cycle on Earth happens at a 121 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: much faster rate than this, than this cycle of turning 122 00:07:57,200 --> 00:08:01,560 Speaker 1: dead matter into oil. So we're using it faster than 123 00:08:01,560 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: it can replenish. Absolutely. So there are a lot of 124 00:08:05,240 --> 00:08:09,480 Speaker 1: negative things about our use of oil. Uh, but there 125 00:08:09,520 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 1: are also a lot of positive things. Um and that's 126 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: sometimes stuff that you don't think about, at least things 127 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: that I don't think about very much. And it depends 128 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,600 Speaker 1: on your perspective to oh sure, and just maybe how 129 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: you grew up, what your parents taught you, where you 130 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 1: are in society, maybe what college you went to or 131 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: if you went to college. Um. So here here's some 132 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: of the great things about oil and society. Ownership of 133 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:38,439 Speaker 1: oil reserves have enabled countries and sometimes you know, families, 134 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: oh yeah, sure, to accumulate just absurd amounts of money, 135 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 1: wealth beyond anyone's wildest dreams. There's a con here, though. 136 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: As good as it is for some parts of society, 137 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: it's also bad for the planet. Oil is bad for 138 00:08:57,679 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: the planet and most things that live on it, which 139 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: is why you know, nobody is lining up to take 140 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:07,080 Speaker 1: a bath and crude unless they're forced to. It's not 141 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: only bad if you happen to wait into a pool 142 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: of it, or maybe a small pool gets thrown onto you, 143 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:17,160 Speaker 1: and your ecosystem is bad when it's burned. Yeah, we 144 00:09:17,200 --> 00:09:20,360 Speaker 1: know that the compustion upon which numerous engines, not just 145 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: car engines, rely can create some dangerous pollutants, and not 146 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: all countries are regulated. Here's here's a funny story about 147 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: how I came to appreciate catalytic converters and emissions, and 148 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: it's super short. I noticed when I was living in 149 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: j Loo, which we've mentioned on the show before. I 150 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:46,360 Speaker 1: noticed it's in Guatemala. And I've noticed a couple of 151 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,439 Speaker 1: really interesting things about the vehicles. One people with Frankenstein 152 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: a vehicle out of like spare parts, magic, I don't know, 153 00:09:55,640 --> 00:09:59,720 Speaker 1: a lucky journey. These the mechanics that were really really good. 154 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: And another thing I noticed was that they must not 155 00:10:04,080 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: have had a mission standards or those weren't enforced because 156 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 1: Matt after walking around just for a day, So you're 157 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: spending a Saturday walk around, You go to the park, 158 00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: you learn some stuff, you meet some people, you have 159 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,680 Speaker 1: a sandwich. You're walking home. I blew my nose and 160 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: the snot was black because of the level of pollution. 161 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: And I wasn't up there, you know, I wasn't like 162 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:27,920 Speaker 1: tough in the end of the tail pipe. I was 163 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: just walking, So yeah, hopefully we won't. You know, there 164 00:10:32,600 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: are parts of the world where that is just the reality. 165 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: Um like in jail, I guess. And that is another 166 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: terrifying aspect, just thinking about cities in China where the 167 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:46,000 Speaker 1: pollution and small gets so bad that you have to 168 00:10:46,040 --> 00:10:48,280 Speaker 1: shut down the city for a little while. Yeah, and 169 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,319 Speaker 1: some of it there is due to weather patterns. It 170 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 1: can be there can be a lack of wind that 171 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 1: would ordinarily sweep the small way. But that is one 172 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:59,240 Speaker 1: that is one con of oil if humans are not 173 00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: careful about it. Another positive thing about oil is that 174 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: it's great for manufacturing and business from that aspect. So 175 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,920 Speaker 1: we've talked about before on this show and I think 176 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: you've talked about it as well on Car Stuff that 177 00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: the first automobiles were electric true story. Yeah, and uh, 178 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:20,880 Speaker 1: where what's the best way to find that? Just look 179 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: on iTunes for car stuff. Yes, we're on iTunes. You 180 00:11:23,760 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: can also visit us at car Stuff show dot com, 181 00:11:26,640 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: where you can see a handy list of some videos 182 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,880 Speaker 1: that Scott and I do, as well as a blog 183 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: and every single episode we've all we've ever done. We 184 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:39,640 Speaker 1: also cover the history of so many cars where you 185 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:43,199 Speaker 1: will hear some crazy stories, you guys, including the stories 186 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:48,240 Speaker 1: of the very first vehicle which was electric and additionally 187 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:53,720 Speaker 1: you can check out some conspiratorial stuff. So much like 188 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 1: a any old car these days, electricity gets it started, 189 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: but oil really fuels the thing. Hey, hey, hello, thank 190 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: you for doing that joke. Yeah, you gotta um and 191 00:12:05,120 --> 00:12:08,199 Speaker 1: it has fueled a great deal of the modern age today. 192 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: Oil supplies of the vehicle fuel needs for yeah, for 193 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,760 Speaker 1: the globe, which is still a pretty scary number considering 194 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 1: how much pushed there is to get alternative fuel vehicles 195 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: out there. Um. And oil is responsible for of the 196 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:27,880 Speaker 1: total energy consumption inside the United States. Now there's a 197 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: con here too. We said that oil is great for 198 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,079 Speaker 1: some parts of society. It's also terrible for parts of society. 199 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:38,559 Speaker 1: It is a death knell at times. It is uh, 200 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: the bell tolling for you, depending on where you are 201 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:44,200 Speaker 1: in a society. And we'll tell you why that is 202 00:12:44,240 --> 00:12:56,600 Speaker 1: the case after a brief word from our sponsors. Okay, 203 00:12:56,640 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: and we are back, ladies and gentlemen. Before the break, 204 00:13:00,360 --> 00:13:02,760 Speaker 1: we said that oil is great for some parts of 205 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: society and terrible for some other parts of society. And 206 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: this brings us to a continually hot button type issue. Matt, 207 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:17,320 Speaker 1: I'll give you the honors. War wars are fought to 208 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 1: gain control over oil resources. And once you're embroiled in 209 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: a war, you need gasoline for all those vehicles, You 210 00:13:26,720 --> 00:13:29,640 Speaker 1: need oil for all sorts of things. It's a it's 211 00:13:29,640 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: a powerful component in so many things. Um, when you're 212 00:13:33,120 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: trying to fight a war, it's it's crazy to think 213 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,439 Speaker 1: just how much is used in a battle, right, And 214 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:45,320 Speaker 1: you'll often hear these claims about wars for oil. Dismissed 215 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:48,319 Speaker 1: this conspiracy theory, so we thought we'd give you some specific, 216 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: historically accepted examples of wars for oil. One early example 217 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: is the Chocoal War of through thirty five. This is interesting, Matt, 218 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,720 Speaker 1: because Bolivia and Paraguay fought over control of this place 219 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: called the Chaco Boreal and this was a you know, 220 00:14:03,160 --> 00:14:07,760 Speaker 1: a rich oil field area. Many historians, however, trace the 221 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 1: conflict ultimately not to Bolivia and Paraguay, but to two 222 00:14:11,679 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: international companies in conflict, Royal Dutch Shell backing Paraguay and 223 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: Standard Oil backing Bolivia. Oh man, really, yeah, Oh that's disheartening. 224 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:25,760 Speaker 1: That's how it really happened. But that's not the that's 225 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:27,880 Speaker 1: not the only example. We know that, even when they're 226 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:33,040 Speaker 1: not entire wars fought for oil resource, there are still 227 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: numerous instances or campaigns where possession of an oil field 228 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 1: or refinery plays a key role. Oh yeah. During World 229 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:43,600 Speaker 1: War Two, both sides understood this, and they would bomb 230 00:14:43,640 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: refineries and try and gain control, strategic control over oil 231 00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: field so that they could have the oil for their 232 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: tanks and their airplanes and everything. Then, even if you 233 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: jump forward to when the US and the Soviet Union 234 00:14:56,760 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: we're having their fun little Cold war and proxy wars. Uh, 235 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: the activities in Afghanistan were fueled by oil concerns. Surprise. Yeah, 236 00:15:05,120 --> 00:15:08,640 Speaker 1: the US was concerned or worried that so many Soviet 237 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:12,160 Speaker 1: troops that close to the Persian Gulf could disrupt oil 238 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: supplies and and stop the trade. Because oil around the 239 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: world is like spice and dune. Right. Oh, you got 240 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:21,680 Speaker 1: to flow, yeah, if you and if you control it. Right, 241 00:15:21,880 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: And that's why today you often hear people claiming that 242 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: one war or another was really fought over oil. And often, 243 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: as sad as it is, these people are not listened 244 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: to or they are dismissed. It is true that wars 245 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:39,720 Speaker 1: are ultimately over resources. Um, you know, whether this is 246 00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:42,000 Speaker 1: the sole motivation for war you have to answer that 247 00:15:42,080 --> 00:15:45,800 Speaker 1: on a case by case basis. But one thing's for sure. Yes, 248 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 1: oil causes conflict, So why not use something else? Why 249 00:15:50,320 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: don't we just say, Okay, this oil stuff it's toxic 250 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,520 Speaker 1: in so many ways, including politically, let's just move to 251 00:15:56,600 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: something else. Why don't we do it? Yeah, and let's uh, 252 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,240 Speaker 1: by the way, have a big hand for our super producer, 253 00:16:02,440 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: Noel Brown. Noel, I'm buttering you up because I'm gonna 254 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: ask for sound cue. Can we get something like sunshiny 255 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 1: for what we're about to announce? Oh? Yes, friends, something 256 00:16:13,800 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: does exist, and it's called alternative energy. We're talking nuclear, 257 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 1: we're talking solar, hydro electric, geothermal, and there are so 258 00:16:22,800 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 1: many others. Well, there's a problem, of course, which is 259 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,560 Speaker 1: if all this stuff is so amazing, why aren't we 260 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: using it now? With nuclear, that's a little bit of 261 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:35,040 Speaker 1: a special case. We're talking like Fukushima, Chernobyl, They're they're 262 00:16:35,080 --> 00:16:39,880 Speaker 1: accurate concerns about that. Hydro Electric really depends on where 263 00:16:40,000 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: you are in the world, as does geothermal, it's not 264 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: gonna work for everybody. Uh, Solar just right now is 265 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: not efficient enough. There's a problem, though, It's threefold when 266 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: we look at alternative energy and why the world still 267 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,200 Speaker 1: uses oil. The first is that the world's infrastructure is 268 00:16:57,240 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: already built for oil. We have a massive on cost, 269 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 1: so to switch from that would be um I'm sure 270 00:17:06,320 --> 00:17:09,680 Speaker 1: that there is a number of how many dollars that 271 00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: would take for the entire world to switch, but I'm 272 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,879 Speaker 1: also sure that that number exists as a mathematical concept. 273 00:17:16,119 --> 00:17:19,119 Speaker 1: I'm also sure that this these numbers exist as a 274 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:22,520 Speaker 1: mathematical concept, and it may be more money than actually 275 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: exists in the world. And you know, as we said, 276 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,240 Speaker 1: the second problem that other forms of energy just don't 277 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:31,720 Speaker 1: have the same bang for the buck efficiency right, Well, 278 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,000 Speaker 1: are you sure about that or do the right exactly? 279 00:17:37,080 --> 00:17:40,040 Speaker 1: We'll get to that research. The third problem here is 280 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,960 Speaker 1: the research into alternative energy is often politicized in the West, 281 00:17:44,080 --> 00:17:47,000 Speaker 1: especially in the United States, and this tends to hamper 282 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: any kind of progress. You know, of course, it's this 283 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:53,919 Speaker 1: goes back to the idea of framing a debate. I 284 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: think we can all agree really if you think about it, 285 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:03,360 Speaker 1: that having other forms of energy production is a good thing. Yeah. 286 00:18:03,400 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: I don't see many cons to that, unless maybe you're 287 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: one of the controlling interests in a massive empire built 288 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: upon oil. Now, you know, ultimately, what we know about 289 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,080 Speaker 1: human beings shows us that if alternative energy or some 290 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: form of it ever cracks the case and becomes as 291 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:23,439 Speaker 1: efficient as oil, then ultimately people will make companies like 292 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: standard oil, and you know, I'll just be standard wind 293 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:30,880 Speaker 1: stand right, Yeah, exactly. Um, they'll never get to do 294 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: that dino juice joke. Though. That's so sad, it's a shame. 295 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:38,040 Speaker 1: But but we do know, of course, guys, you have 296 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:41,480 Speaker 1: seen this, if you've ever watched news in the United States, 297 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,960 Speaker 1: there are people who would go out and say, well, 298 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: you know that wind turbans are way more dangerous than 299 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: you think. They altered the surrounding temperature. That's right. They 300 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,199 Speaker 1: kill birds, and they do kill birds. They kill a 301 00:18:55,240 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 1: lot of birds. That part is true. But but we see, 302 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: you know, we see people take a stand against because 303 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,760 Speaker 1: they have a political stake in it rather than an objectives, 304 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: which leads us to I don't know about you, guys, 305 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: but this is my favorite part of the podcast today. Um, Oh, 306 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:13,520 Speaker 1: but before we get to it, we should have a 307 00:19:13,520 --> 00:19:25,720 Speaker 1: word from response. Here's where it gets crazy, all right, Ben, 308 00:19:25,800 --> 00:19:28,720 Speaker 1: let's get to the good stuff. Let's get to the 309 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:32,359 Speaker 1: oil conspiracies. So let's just get started here. One of 310 00:19:32,400 --> 00:19:35,920 Speaker 1: the ideas is that oil companies or at least there 311 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:40,280 Speaker 1: owning interests, actively work to suppress the alternative energy. We're 312 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: talking about energy suppression here. We've done a couple episodes 313 00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:46,280 Speaker 1: on this on the video side, even an audio podcast 314 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 1: on this. UM. It's a huge topic. You can look 315 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:54,720 Speaker 1: at examples like zero point energy that UM, from what 316 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,479 Speaker 1: we can find, probably doesn't exist as of yet. UM, 317 00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 1: but it might and if did, then perhaps it was 318 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: suppressed and people were killed. That's a conspiracy theory. Another 319 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,600 Speaker 1: is a so called free energy examples including things like 320 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: Thomas Bray's device that he created that was suppressed. And 321 00:20:16,320 --> 00:20:19,280 Speaker 1: there are numerous other conspiracies. So let's look at the 322 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:24,040 Speaker 1: automotive side here. Uh, there's this conspiracy idea that automotive 323 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:29,520 Speaker 1: manufacturers conspired to prevent viable alternative energy cars from hitting 324 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 1: the markets. And you can see some great examples in 325 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,920 Speaker 1: this and something called who Killed the Electric Car. There's 326 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: also the great Street car conspiracy and uh, that's that's 327 00:20:39,520 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: a fascinating topic to me. We can hear us covered 328 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,119 Speaker 1: on car stuff as well. Um, I think we have 329 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: we have a video about it somewhere we do knocking around. 330 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: There's another example from the world of automotives, the water 331 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: powered car, which we also talked about. Man, that one's fascinating. 332 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: Check out our video on that. Uh. And we also 333 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:58,560 Speaker 1: had Scott from car stuff come on and talk a 334 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,240 Speaker 1: little bit about some of this stuff. That true he did. Yeah, 335 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: he's a good fellow. Uh. Okay, So there's another idea 336 00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:08,720 Speaker 1: here that I know we're kind of blowing through these Uh. 337 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: That's just so that you guys can you know, get 338 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,880 Speaker 1: a little tidbit and then go research in other ways. Um. 339 00:21:15,920 --> 00:21:18,639 Speaker 1: But there's an idea that most Middle Eastern conflicts, stuff 340 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:23,600 Speaker 1: like the our war in Afghanistan, the recent one also 341 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:27,160 Speaker 1: again going into Iraq, Um, that it's ultimately the result 342 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:31,120 Speaker 1: of colonization and resource extraction rather than any kind of 343 00:21:31,480 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 1: ideological or religious concern. Yeah, so let's look at this. 344 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 1: I think we have talked about this before in some 345 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,920 Speaker 1: of our videos. But right now, if you are an 346 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: alien and you land on planet Earth, or you're just 347 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:47,320 Speaker 1: you know, screw it. You stay on the moon and 348 00:21:47,359 --> 00:21:49,679 Speaker 1: you're just watching the news before you go in go 349 00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:52,440 Speaker 1: into the planet right or into civilization, which is the 350 00:21:52,560 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: smart move if you're listening extraterrestrials. So, so let's say 351 00:21:56,760 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 1: that you turn on the news and you notice that 352 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 1: things seem pretty dicey in the Middle East, and there's 353 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: a country called Iran, and there's some other countries Saudi Arabia, Israel, 354 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: and the United States which do not like Iran. And 355 00:22:11,640 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: Iran is you notice surrounded on all sides by a 356 00:22:15,960 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: US basis. You'll probably hear a lot of people talking 357 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:27,720 Speaker 1: about religious values right, more abstract ideological things, but they're smart. 358 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,200 Speaker 1: You'll also notice that Iran is the country controlling something 359 00:22:31,240 --> 00:22:34,959 Speaker 1: called the Strait of Joramus, where a great deal of 360 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 1: the world's oil passes, and Iran has the ability to 361 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: shut down this straight uh. The United States and Saudi 362 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,560 Speaker 1: Arabia spend a great deal of time and money making 363 00:22:48,600 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: sure that they have boats that are in the water. 364 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:57,040 Speaker 1: So imagine imagine that something valuable was coming out of 365 00:22:57,080 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: the Gulf, and that the US controlled the Gulf, but 366 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: there was another country much stronger than the US, like 367 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:07,520 Speaker 1: China sixty years from now send ships to the Gulf 368 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:13,080 Speaker 1: of Mexico to prevent any kind of shutdown. That's similar. 369 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,879 Speaker 1: That hypothetical situation is similar. So this idea now is 370 00:23:17,960 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: that most of the Middle East conflicts are ultimately a 371 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:28,040 Speaker 1: result of colonial powers and ownership of oil resource extraction. 372 00:23:28,119 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: It's a it's dirty, dirty stuff. Yeah you can. I'm 373 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: trying to think if there's a good place on video 374 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,960 Speaker 1: where you can learn more about that. I don't think 375 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: we've covered that in particular, organ stray hor moves or anything. Well, 376 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,280 Speaker 1: you can look at the Yeah, you're right, we haven't 377 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 1: covered that yet, but you can find some great stuff 378 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: if you look into uh who set up the Shaw 379 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: of Iran and later the fall of the Shaw, UH, 380 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:59,639 Speaker 1: the involvement of energy companies in both, the involvement of 381 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: British oil companies in the area historically, at how much 382 00:24:03,040 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: influence they welded over state making. So do some Iran research. 383 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,639 Speaker 1: Another thing that we just looked at this week on 384 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: video is our classic series on peak oil and whether 385 00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: or not we've reached this point of peak oil where 386 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:20,400 Speaker 1: we are not producing uh enough to meet demand? Where 387 00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: are where our supplies are dwindling and dwindling where we 388 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: can't make that ninety million barrels one. And that's a 389 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,399 Speaker 1: scary thing because, as we know, the developing world is 390 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: thirstier and thirstier for oil. People have more machines, people 391 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: want more consumer goods, and they're just more people. Oh yeah, 392 00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:40,720 Speaker 1: a lot more people. And the conspiracy lies within whether 393 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 1: or not we've already hit this point of peak oil, 394 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,719 Speaker 1: whether we you know when we will hit it, if 395 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,560 Speaker 1: we will hit it, or if it's a hoax yeah 396 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: by the left because Alaska, man, there's so much oil 397 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:55,000 Speaker 1: under Alaska. Well, you know, not to make light of it. 398 00:24:55,040 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 1: But the point that we're making here is that there 399 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 1: are people on both sides of the peak oil debate 400 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,959 Speaker 1: who believed that there is a conspiracy of foot And 401 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:07,480 Speaker 1: the biggest thing for me is do we really want 402 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:10,679 Speaker 1: to continue to burn all this oil? Come on, guys, 403 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: I got really scared by Newsroom. Dude, the newsroom did 404 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,800 Speaker 1: that piece on climate change? Did you I've never seen 405 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: news room? Okay, alright, well, Newsroom did this small piece 406 00:25:21,840 --> 00:25:24,440 Speaker 1: on climate change where they interviewed I don't know if 407 00:25:24,480 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 1: he was just an associate director or something of Um, 408 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: the E p A. And then I did some research 409 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: after that aired, and the results about the amount of 410 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:40,000 Speaker 1: c O two in the atmosphere is pretty scary. Now, newsroom, 411 00:25:40,200 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 1: is that the show written by Aaron Sorkin. That is correct? Okay, good, 412 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:45,399 Speaker 1: just because the way we're talking about it for a 413 00:25:45,440 --> 00:25:49,680 Speaker 1: second made me think that it was an actual news show. Yes, 414 00:25:49,760 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: it's an HBO show. I apologize. Oh, no worries, So 415 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:55,320 Speaker 1: I'll check it out. Huh. I would recommend anyone check 416 00:25:55,320 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: it out, just because it's one of those doom and 417 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 1: gloom things where it just seems awful and you're watching 418 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: it on this fiction fictionalized TV show, but then when 419 00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:08,760 Speaker 1: you realize that the information that's being used in there 420 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:13,520 Speaker 1: is nonfiction, Uh, it's pretty scary. Here's another scary thing. 421 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: And we'll be talking about this in a video that 422 00:26:16,960 --> 00:26:19,440 Speaker 1: you can check out this week to probably right after 423 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: you listen to this episode. There is an organization called 424 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,680 Speaker 1: o PACK right and yeah, who are they? Right? And 425 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:34,520 Speaker 1: OPAC is a consortium that controls oil prices in general. Now, recently, 426 00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:36,920 Speaker 1: if you have tuned into the news, you have noticed 427 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:41,200 Speaker 1: that oil prices are plummeting. U there are a couple 428 00:26:41,200 --> 00:26:43,560 Speaker 1: of reasons for this. But here's the thing that's kind 429 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:48,560 Speaker 1: of conspiratorial that I really enjoy. It's that maybe OPAC 430 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: and the Western Powers are conspiring to drive down the 431 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,160 Speaker 1: price of fossil fuels from crude oil to natural gas, 432 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:59,240 Speaker 1: not to save US money at the pump, not because 433 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: they care. That would be really nice if they did, 434 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 1: that would be you know what. Maybe maybe I'm wrong, 435 00:27:05,520 --> 00:27:07,919 Speaker 1: maybe for the holidays. Maybe it's for the holidays, and 436 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:11,960 Speaker 1: maybe I'm being a jerk. But I also proposed that 437 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: maybe this is an attempt to weakend countries like Russia 438 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,480 Speaker 1: and Iran, both of which rely on fossil fuel exports 439 00:27:19,520 --> 00:27:22,560 Speaker 1: to power their economies. That whole situation right now is 440 00:27:22,600 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: heating up between Russia and a lot of other places 441 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,000 Speaker 1: in the world, especially the United States, and Russia was 442 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:34,560 Speaker 1: questioning Israel earlier this week because they bombed Syria. Yes, um, 443 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: there's just so much interesting stuff going on there. I 444 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:41,560 Speaker 1: watched you watch Vice News at all. I've seen it before. 445 00:27:41,920 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: I've been trying to just keep up to date. They 446 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,919 Speaker 1: have some embedded people, well not embedded, they're just there. Uh, 447 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: they're not embedded with any group. But yeah, there's just 448 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:53,880 Speaker 1: really interesting to actually see the news coming out from 449 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 1: that kind of thing. Well, it's important, especially when we 450 00:27:56,320 --> 00:27:59,919 Speaker 1: talk about any kind of international affair. It's it's cruise 451 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 1: shoal to check multiple news sources. Anytime that somebody questioned 452 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: your source, your individual source, it's just good practice to 453 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:12,880 Speaker 1: have another one you can show. I mean, I read 454 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: RT like the Russian Times all the time. I also 455 00:28:17,560 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: read the official uh state web page of North Korea, 456 00:28:21,960 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: the DPRK. I might be the only one who does that. 457 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 1: I do not currently, but um does Google Translate work 458 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 1: pretty well with it. They have an English section, yeah, 459 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:33,960 Speaker 1: making the English section in the Korean section. Check it out. 460 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:37,360 Speaker 1: You'll see some interesting stuff. But so I'm saying, I'll 461 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:42,400 Speaker 1: check state mouthpieces. Right, Arguably Al Jazeera is a state 462 00:28:42,440 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: mouthpiece to right, um, and let's see, are they in 463 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:52,240 Speaker 1: cutter I believe yes. Also, the BBC is essentially a 464 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:55,040 Speaker 1: state news site in the United States. Is a little 465 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: bit different because you know, Fox will speak more for 466 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:02,120 Speaker 1: the right, MSNBC speak more for the left. Often both 467 00:29:02,120 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: can be disingenuous, and usually it's a corporation. Yeah, you know, 468 00:29:07,320 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: I hate to be that guy, but you're you're ultimately 469 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 1: getting pr A lot of times. It's true that an 470 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:18,400 Speaker 1: ad driven news people can shut something down if an 471 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:20,920 Speaker 1: advertiser has enough power and they don't like it, or 472 00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 1: just the conglomerate that owns the media company has any arm. 473 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,720 Speaker 1: So you're talking really, I feel like if I'm looking 474 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: into your head right now, I'm seeing the Saturday Night 475 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 1: Live video that was shown once they're taking off the air. Yeah, 476 00:29:34,000 --> 00:29:36,000 Speaker 1: I mean a bit, at least bits and pieces. I 477 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:41,240 Speaker 1: have an unfortunate bias against US news in that way. 478 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:48,320 Speaker 1: So are any of these conspiracies true? I think bits 479 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: and pieces of most of these are true. Uh. I 480 00:29:51,560 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: think it's difficult. It would be extremely difficult to prove 481 00:29:54,720 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: hands down any of them. Um, just with actual hard evidence. 482 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 1: So are any of these conspiracies we've heard so far 483 00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,440 Speaker 1: true or do they have a grain of truth? Well, 484 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:10,200 Speaker 1: of course, it would be extremely difficult to prove with concrete, 485 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: inarguable evidence that oil companies are conspiring to, let's say, 486 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 1: suppress any of this innovation. But we do know that 487 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: large companies can and will act unethically to ensure not 488 00:30:22,720 --> 00:30:26,760 Speaker 1: only their continued survival but the continual survival of let's 489 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,920 Speaker 1: say that market or that business Moel. Yeah, that huge 490 00:30:29,960 --> 00:30:32,640 Speaker 1: business Moel. So yeah. One example of this, it probably 491 00:30:32,680 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 1: hits home for a lot of you out there listening 492 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:38,560 Speaker 1: on the internet. I know it makes me furious, is 493 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:43,720 Speaker 1: the suppression of superior fiber optic networks by telecoms. If 494 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:47,480 Speaker 1: you have been on Reddit or the subreddit for technology, 495 00:30:47,600 --> 00:30:51,440 Speaker 1: then you have seen so many stories about companies that 496 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: originally refused to build a fiber optic network taking legal 497 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:00,440 Speaker 1: action to prevent a town or city from building their own. Yeah, 498 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:03,000 Speaker 1: because man, you can't step on my profits like that. 499 00:31:03,400 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 1: Or the suppression of let's talk about this too, while 500 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,360 Speaker 1: we're at it, of online video services like Netflix and 501 00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:15,480 Speaker 1: Hulu by cable companies who don't want consumers to use 502 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:20,719 Speaker 1: another more convenient, more affordable way of watching TV. Now, okay, 503 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 1: these examples, of course, I know, I know what everybody's saying. 504 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 1: Of course, these have nothing to do with gasoline. These 505 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: are just examples of what can happen when a company 506 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 1: is large enough to affect legislation. Right, So, there is 507 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,800 Speaker 1: a dangerous possibility. I'm not saying it has happened before 508 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:42,480 Speaker 1: that an oil company would suppress an innovation, but I 509 00:31:42,520 --> 00:31:46,680 Speaker 1: am saying that it could happen, which is terrifying. Well, 510 00:31:46,880 --> 00:31:48,920 Speaker 1: one of the other things that we do know for 511 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:52,800 Speaker 1: sure is that auto manufacturers back in the day were 512 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: found guilty of destroying America's electric street cars. And we're 513 00:31:56,760 --> 00:32:01,600 Speaker 1: talking about the street cars that were in San Franci Disco. Yeah, um, 514 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:05,920 Speaker 1: and maybe Chicago other cities. Um. Yeah, they were found 515 00:32:05,960 --> 00:32:08,760 Speaker 1: guilty of doing this. And guess what, Ben, this is 516 00:32:08,760 --> 00:32:12,200 Speaker 1: something I learned from your show. What's that they were fined? Um, 517 00:32:12,240 --> 00:32:14,000 Speaker 1: just a little bit. They were just find a little 518 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:18,400 Speaker 1: bit of money. One dollar, They'll find one dollar. You guys, 519 00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 1: the big three auto manufacturers, and I think there was 520 00:32:21,680 --> 00:32:24,400 Speaker 1: also a tire company that was active in this, uh, 521 00:32:24,400 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 1: purchased various streetcar systems and then later dismantled them. Now 522 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: you will hear people say that these were already hemorrhaging 523 00:32:33,720 --> 00:32:36,600 Speaker 1: money or they were bad investments or something from the beginning, 524 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: and that the other companies had no choice but to 525 00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:45,600 Speaker 1: dismantle them. However, you know, it's okay if you believe that, 526 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: if you like to believe that sort of thing, but 527 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: the court doesn't agree with you, which is like the 528 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:54,960 Speaker 1: most diplomatic way I could put it. You're so kind 529 00:32:55,000 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 1: of Ben, Thank you. So. Conspiracy theories about auto power 530 00:33:00,800 --> 00:33:03,880 Speaker 1: are almost as old as the Model T going way 531 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,200 Speaker 1: back there, and that's you know, there's no surprise about that. 532 00:33:07,280 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 1: But while we don't have concrete proof of the suppression, 533 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,240 Speaker 1: like we said before, we do know that there are 534 00:33:12,800 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: various electric cars that came and went under this same 535 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:20,640 Speaker 1: kind of let's say, mysterious circumstance. Talking about the e 536 00:33:20,760 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: V one. If you've ever watched Who Killed the Electric Car, Uh, 537 00:33:24,760 --> 00:33:26,760 Speaker 1: you'll know what we're talking about. Have an episode on 538 00:33:26,800 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: that as well. Um, that that centered EV one is 539 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:32,160 Speaker 1: so crazy, especially when you go back and you watch 540 00:33:32,280 --> 00:33:34,840 Speaker 1: the interviews with I think Tom Hanks was one of 541 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:38,400 Speaker 1: the interviews people. So here's how the EV one worked. 542 00:33:38,680 --> 00:33:41,720 Speaker 1: People could not outright by it. They could lease it. 543 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:44,760 Speaker 1: And at the end of the least period people were 544 00:33:44,800 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 1: going nuts and bananas. They loved the Saturn EV one. 545 00:33:49,360 --> 00:33:54,080 Speaker 1: But Saturn destroyed the ev ones when they were returned 546 00:33:54,120 --> 00:33:57,720 Speaker 1: from lease and GM GM destroyed it. Yeah, excuse me, 547 00:33:57,760 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: and you were allowed to renew your lease. It was 548 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:04,120 Speaker 1: very very dodgy business. Uh. Here's another thing that we 549 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:07,520 Speaker 1: talked about a little bit at length the idea of 550 00:34:07,600 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: oil driving conflict in the Middle East. It's fairly certain 551 00:34:10,800 --> 00:34:12,799 Speaker 1: a great deal of conflict in the Middle East can 552 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: be traced back, as we said, to colonialism to control 553 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:20,480 Speaker 1: of these resources. Because you've ever wondered why some parts 554 00:34:20,520 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: of the world are so violent, really should look at 555 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:27,480 Speaker 1: um colonialism and the ways that it grouped modern nation 556 00:34:27,560 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 1: states without much consideration to the people who already lived 557 00:34:33,040 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: there in tribes or communities. So these would be cut 558 00:34:36,120 --> 00:34:38,839 Speaker 1: in half, and then people who are enemies of one 559 00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:43,040 Speaker 1: another arrivals would be in the same new state, which 560 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:45,560 Speaker 1: explains a lot of the conflict, but not all of it. 561 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:48,719 Speaker 1: And it's a little too simplistic sometimes to just say 562 00:34:49,160 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: that a war has fought only for oil. Um. But 563 00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,839 Speaker 1: it is a huge factor, maybe way bigger than what 564 00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,480 Speaker 1: people might imagine. It's part of establishing, you know, hegemony, 565 00:35:00,640 --> 00:35:04,080 Speaker 1: controlling resources. There are a few facts that most people 566 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,920 Speaker 1: don't know about the United States, though we have a 567 00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:11,000 Speaker 1: lot all these misconceptions that are still trumpeted by pundits 568 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:14,040 Speaker 1: on the news. Uh. First one that we should bust 569 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:17,279 Speaker 1: the United States does not get most of its oil 570 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,360 Speaker 1: from the Middle East. Nope, we get it from the 571 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:23,080 Speaker 1: North from good old Canada. Yep, true story. You guys, 572 00:35:23,320 --> 00:35:26,800 Speaker 1: for a while, Canada had been our number one source 573 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:30,759 Speaker 1: of fossil fuel imports and we also produce a lot 574 00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:34,440 Speaker 1: of it here. Um, it's so weird. Then you go 575 00:35:34,520 --> 00:35:36,640 Speaker 1: back to what we're talking about earlier, that oil is 576 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:40,160 Speaker 1: this large contributing um factor in going to war in 577 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:44,400 Speaker 1: places in the Middle East. And you know, if we don't, 578 00:35:44,480 --> 00:35:46,680 Speaker 1: maybe we don't need all that oil. Ben we're getting 579 00:35:46,680 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: it from other places. Right. The discovery of fracking and 580 00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: extraction from shale has been a huge shot in the 581 00:35:53,680 --> 00:35:56,680 Speaker 1: arm for the US industry. But then that brings us 582 00:35:56,719 --> 00:36:00,320 Speaker 1: back to, uh, the old peak oil idea, right, because 583 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:05,320 Speaker 1: if we're counting improvement in production by finding new means 584 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:08,839 Speaker 1: of extraction, we're not finding more oil. We're just we're 585 00:36:08,920 --> 00:36:11,840 Speaker 1: getting better digging it out of Earth's nooks and crannies, 586 00:36:12,400 --> 00:36:15,040 Speaker 1: more complicated ways to get it out right, and maybe 587 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:17,399 Speaker 1: less safe. But what what does this mean about peak 588 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: oil whole peak oil conspiracy. Well, it means we're not 589 00:36:20,200 --> 00:36:22,560 Speaker 1: talking about whether or not it's going to happen. We're 590 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: just talking about when it's going to happen. Um. I mean, 591 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 1: it's true that various oil companies and let's say, let's 592 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,920 Speaker 1: call them pro oil senators. Uh, you know they got 593 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:36,000 Speaker 1: money in the family or they're you know, they've got 594 00:36:36,200 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 1: family who's in with the oil which happens and which 595 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,680 Speaker 1: is not illegal, No, not at all. Bushes. So they've 596 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 1: argued people have argued that climate change or global warming, 597 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:51,200 Speaker 1: is this myth, And you know it's made to extend 598 00:36:51,239 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 1: government control over private industry. So you can tax the 599 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:58,040 Speaker 1: companies and you can tax the people for using carbons, 600 00:36:58,080 --> 00:37:00,399 Speaker 1: which is which is weird to me, Like I get 601 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,279 Speaker 1: this idea, especially with one world government conspiracies. But it's 602 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:06,400 Speaker 1: also true that if you look at the laws and 603 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: the legislation process, at least in at least in western countries, um, 604 00:37:12,719 --> 00:37:17,399 Speaker 1: private industry actually wields more control over the state than 605 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,879 Speaker 1: many people would like to think. And we we bring 606 00:37:19,880 --> 00:37:22,600 Speaker 1: this up all the time. Yeah, we look at lobbying, 607 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:25,879 Speaker 1: we've looked at just the various controls that you can 608 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:29,440 Speaker 1: have in an election process. And let's not forget that 609 00:37:29,520 --> 00:37:34,400 Speaker 1: oil companies really have spearheaded invasions and toppled regimes to 610 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:37,560 Speaker 1: keep that dino juice and the profits flowing. And now 611 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:39,759 Speaker 1: before we move on. I'm going to say something that 612 00:37:39,840 --> 00:37:43,160 Speaker 1: a lot of people might not expect, just a question, 613 00:37:43,520 --> 00:37:47,000 Speaker 1: have oil companies done more good or more harm? Because 614 00:37:47,040 --> 00:37:51,879 Speaker 1: it's super super convenient for us to live in this 615 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:56,080 Speaker 1: world made of all these amazing plastic and petroleum products, 616 00:37:56,120 --> 00:38:00,640 Speaker 1: to drive in our cars right, or ride in a 617 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:04,239 Speaker 1: m in an electric train which is probably powered by 618 00:38:04,239 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: a coal plant. It's super easy for us to have 619 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,520 Speaker 1: all those things. And then you know, say oil companies 620 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,359 Speaker 1: are terrible and bad. I just feel like it's, uh, 621 00:38:14,200 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 1: a lot of people don't consider you great scapegoat kind 622 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:22,200 Speaker 1: of thing. I see that. Uh. Well, let's say I 623 00:38:22,239 --> 00:38:25,360 Speaker 1: would say this, the world is a much more convenient 624 00:38:25,400 --> 00:38:29,719 Speaker 1: place thanks to oil and oil companies. Uh, it's a 625 00:38:29,840 --> 00:38:34,399 Speaker 1: much more it's a healthier place in some ways due 626 00:38:34,480 --> 00:38:39,400 Speaker 1: to things like plastics, um, due to things like pharmaceuticals 627 00:38:40,160 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 1: that are created from that. Um. Most of what we 628 00:38:43,360 --> 00:38:46,560 Speaker 1: have right now that we consider modern modern conveniences are 629 00:38:46,600 --> 00:38:50,200 Speaker 1: directly from oil. Which is strange because that leads us 630 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: to a question that Matt and I have for each 631 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:56,600 Speaker 1: other and also for you listeners, what role will oil 632 00:38:56,640 --> 00:39:00,440 Speaker 1: play in the future of civilization? Thing? So much for 633 00:39:00,480 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: listening you can let us know on our Facebook and 634 00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:09,919 Speaker 1: Twitter where we're making moves, doing stuff, posting things, re tweeting. Yeah, 635 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:13,640 Speaker 1: so please like and subscribe to our shows so that 636 00:39:13,680 --> 00:39:16,800 Speaker 1: our bosses don't fire us. And that would be huge, 637 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:20,359 Speaker 1: honestly if you subscribe to the show. Yeah, and also, hey, 638 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 1: share it's the it's the holidays. Share this stuff with 639 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,239 Speaker 1: your with your families. I just would love to see 640 00:39:26,280 --> 00:39:29,160 Speaker 1: the reaction of your grandmother when you show her one 641 00:39:29,160 --> 00:39:31,960 Speaker 1: of our videos. You can find them all It's Stuff 642 00:39:31,960 --> 00:39:34,160 Speaker 1: they Don't Want You to Know dot com. We're also 643 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:36,160 Speaker 1: on YouTube and if you want and that's the end 644 00:39:36,239 --> 00:39:39,600 Speaker 1: of this classic episode. If you have any thoughts or 645 00:39:39,719 --> 00:39:43,560 Speaker 1: questions about this episode, you can get into contact with 646 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:45,680 Speaker 1: us in a number of different ways. One of the 647 00:39:45,719 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 1: best is to give us a call. Our number is 648 00:39:47,640 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 1: one eight three three std w y t K. 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