The debate around Norwegian oil and climate is huge. How big will the climate effect of reduced oil- and gas production be? The employers organization for the oil industry argues that reduced oil- and gas production will either have no, or even a negative effect for the climate. A common pro oil production argument is that “if we stop our oil production, other countries will sell more of their oil.” Nature and Youth talks about the importance of supply and demand. They state, with support from researchers, that the price of oil will increase if Norway stops to sell it because the supply decreases. This leads to decreased consumption, and hence, reduced climate gas emissions.

I think that the oil industry is a good example of Tragedy of the Commons. People want to take aw much they can of the common resource pool for their own gain, but no one wants the bad consequences from the industry. Countries and organizations are acting according to their own self interest when they extract oil, and they don’t think about what is good for most people, and what is good for the earth.

Picture of an oil platform. Source: https://nu.no/saker/olje/fakta-olje-og-energi/2016/08/ny-rapport-olje-i-barentshavet-knuser-klimamal/

Nature and Youth demands there will not be given more concessions to oil industry. There is need for a plan for how to reduce the oil industry in Norway. Read more about Nature and Youth’s work against oil extraction in these pages: “Lofoten, Vesterålen and Senja” and “The Barents Sea”.