Oil is the fossil of ancient forests.
Its discovery in the mid-19th century sparked the rapid industrialization of Western Europe, Russia, Japan, and America; it fueled two world wars and contributed to the industrialization of India, China, and the entire planet.
More than any other factor, oil continues to fuels wars and, above all, to cause global climate crisis that threatens civilization and the Earth.
America's oil wars
The most recent example of America's thirst for oil is the Venezuela.
Jeffrey Sachs, a professor of economics at Columbia University and an advisor to world leaders, says that for the past 20 years the United States has been trying to overthrow the Venezuelan government in order to control the country's vast oil reserves.
Sachs writes:
“The US government’s calls for escalation [against Venezuela] show a reckless disregard for the country’s sovereignty, international law, and human life. A war against Venezuela would be a war that Americans do not want, against a country that has neither threatened nor attacked them, and with a legal basis that would not even stand up to a law student’s first class. Bombing ships, ports, refineries, or soldiers is not a sign of strength; it is the epitome of gangsterism.”
The same regime of "gangsterism", as he says, also prevails in the wars of Ukrainian and Israel.
NATO allies continue to arm Ukraine to prolong the slaughter of soldiers and Russians in a war that is already lost — but could be won at any moment. nuclear.
The US is the main pillar of this futility, while the European powers turn a blind eye, forgetting the carnage of the two world wars that were fought mainly on their soil.
In Israel, the policy is guided by biblical strategies.
Possessing nuclear weapons and relying on America's inexhaustible equipment, Israel kills and starves mainly Palestinian civilians.
Even Muslim Arab countries are silent, frozen in the face of the violence unleashed in Lebanon, Iran and Syria.
Turkey pretends to be the protector of the Palestinians, while in essence it serves its own interests.
As in Ukraine, Israel's war is endless and self-destructive.
Instead of expending forces, Israel could cooperate with Greece to free the Northern Cyprus from Turkish occupation; thus Greek sovereignty in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean would be restored, making both countries safer.
"Jihadi" Turkey poses a threat to the entire Mediterranean.
More floods, more heat, more pain — everywhere
Oil wars take a different form in countries that are not at war.
Translated into increase in temperature of the planet.
Despite over a century of scientific data showing that burning oil, gas, and coal is increasing global temperatures, powerful countries are ignoring the problem.
Scientists have appealed to American presidents to reduce fossil fuel use and stop mining on state lands and seas — to no avail.
Presidents only listen to billionaires.
Every year, global summits on "climate change" are held.
Leaders promise to reduce fossil fuel use — and return to their countries to continue the dependency.
The Secretary-General of the UN, Antonio Guterres, warns in dramatic terms about the coming climate disaster.
In his speech at Climate Summit in Belem, Brazil (November 7, 2025), said among other things:
"The era of fossil fuels is ending.
Renewable energy sources are on the rise.
We must make the transition fair, swift and definitive.
If we continue like this, we will see more floods, more heat, more pain — everywhere.”
Guterres in the footsteps of Plato and Aristotle
Guterres expresses the difficult truth:
it's time to eliminate the use of fossil fuels and replace it with energy from the Sun and wind.
With his philosophical acumen he reminds us of the Plato and Aristotle, products of the Peloponnesian War — a disaster for Greek civilization.
Just as they warned the Greeks, Guterres warns humanity:
Wars over oil and climate are the new global threat.
Plato, in "State", envisioned a society where philosophers rule with justice and virtue.
Aristotle, studying knowledge, invented science and taught Alexander the Great to unite the Greeks.
Their legacy shaped the world;
but the monotheism and industrial greed they corrupted the essence of Greek democracy and virtue.
Epilogue
Guterres is right: the Renewable energy rises — but so does the Earth's temperature also.
Inaction is suicidal.
Scientists, environmentalists and citizens must unite and demand that fossil fuels remain underground.
States, such as California, can lead:
to transform transportation, agriculture and energy into renewable forms·
encourage public transportation and organic farming.
The stakes couldn't be higher:
is fate of civilization and survival of Mother Earth hanging by a thread.
Evangelos Vallianatos, Ph.D.
He studied history and biology at the University of Illinois, received his doctorate in Greek and European history from the University of Wisconsin, and did postdoctoral studies in the history of science at Harvard.
He worked on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, taught at universities, and is the author of numerous works, including:
The Antikythera Mechanism: The Story Behind the Genius of the Greek Computer and its DemiseAnd
Freedom: Clear Thinking and Inspiration from 5,000 Years of Greek History (Universal Publishers, 2025).
photo by GreekRadioFL
