EVWorld.Com Poll Foresees Future US-China Conflict Over Oil
Results of February 2005 on-line reader poll.
(PRWEB) March 9, 2005 -- China recently became the world's largest consumer
nation in virtually every commodity category except one: oil. Here it is second
only to the United States in its thirst for petroleum and it is that appetite
that a five-to-one majority in a recent Internet poll believe will eventually
bring it into conflict with the World's only super-power.
China's demand
for oil has seen it scouring the planet from Russia, where it has sought a stake
in Yukos-controlled oil fields, to Canadian tar sands, to Venezuelan crude, to
reserves in Somalia, to cutting lucrative deals Iran, which has earmarked nearly
15 percent of its oil production for China. And it is gradually beefing up its
naval and maritime presence along the vital oil tanker routes that thread
strategic Far East choke points.
And while China is aggressively seeking
to encourage greater use of renewable energy and conservation technologies, its
booming economy continues to strain the world's ability to produce enough oil to
meet global demand, driving up prices into the +$50 a barrel range; and
potentially setting the stage for a future economic, diplomatic and/or possible
military conflict.
So, during the month of February 2005, EV World, the
Internet's leading web portal for news and information about sustainable
transportation technologies, asked its readers, "Do you believe that China's
growing appetite for oil will eventually bring it into conflict with the United
States?"
A total of 670 readers took part in the poll. Of those 77
percent (517) responded "Yes"; 15 percent (100) responded "No"; and 8 percent
(53) replied "Unsure". That's a five-to-one margin of those who see potential
conflict between two of the world's largest consuming nations.
"This is
obviously a troubling finding," stated EV World publisher Bill Moore. "It
clearly suggests a pervasive pessimism about how successful either nation will
be in reducing its dependence on imported oil. These findings, while not
scientific, should be a wake-up call to the leaders of both nations that we must
find a way to work peacefully and constructively towards sustainable energy
solutions that don't pit nation-against-nation in the competition for
resources."
About EV World
Published weekly on-line since 1998, EV
World features original content on a wide range of topics related to advanced,
alternative fuel technologies from the latest in battery, hybrid-electric and
fuel cell vehicles to renewable energy progress and policy. The publication has
interviewed such notables as General Wesley Clark, former CIA director James
Woolsey and "The Hype About Hydrogen" author Joseph Romm. Interviews are
available in text and MP3 audio format. EV refers to "electric
vehicle."
While premium content is available to subscribers only, much of
the site, including daily news updates and archived interviews and feature
stories, are available free to all readers. EV World conducts reader polls each
month, with this month's question being, "Since hybrids use less gasoline,
should states switch from taxing motor fuel sales to taxing vehicle owners on
the miles they drive each year?"'
# # #
Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/3/prweb215883.htm