[ad_1]
When I was little, my father had a friend who was a staunch opponent of Social Democracy. Not just for that, by the way, but for everything it stood for. He must have been so convinced that at one point, when the car ran out of gas, he forced his wife and children to jump in and fire the vehicle past the cooperative’s OK service station and onto the private property equivalent that was 500 meters further. ahead on the road.
It is ironic that some of OK’s gas stations in the mid-1990s were bought by Saudi businessman Mohammed Al-Amoudi. Today, the company goes by the name Preem and in recent years it has become one of the probably most loaded brands in Sweden. The company’s plans to expand the refinery at Lysekil have created controversy, not only because Preem’s own carbon dioxide emissions would increase dramatically, but because the expansion would effectively negate Sweden’s opportunities to meet its commitments under the Accord. from Paris. Using the same argument as international arms dealers (“If we don’t do it, someone else will”), Preem has become the epitome of the calculated madness of our time, where fossil energy is expanding even though everyone knows it has to reduce it. The happy, green polar bear in the company logo has shown his true face as a brutal weather prowler.
Preem has become the epitome of the calculated madness of our time, the happy green polar bear in the company logo has shown his true face as a brutal weather-raider.
In fact, it was it is probably a matter of time before the company understands where the winds are blowing on the Swedish west coast. Or at least which way the money is going. Today, the world’s financial newspapers write about how “big oil” is about to breathe its last and about how renewable energy will reshape the geopolitical conditions of the world. Oil giant BP has declared that it will reduce its oil and natural gas production and instead invest many billions each year in renewable energy. More and more banks are announcing that their credit policy must comply with the Paris Agreement in the future. The fossil fuel industry’s time is running out.
Preem’s decision to retire The previous request to expand the refinery at Lysekil is now greeted with joy. “WIN! Thanks to everyone who has protested, investments in fossils have no place in our common future,” for example, the climate director of the Association for Conservation of Nature, David Kihlberg, cheered immediately after the announcement. The fact that the company itself withdraws from an investment that has made time impossible is probably of greater symbolic importance than if the plans had been halted at the last minute by a debatable legal government intervention. Preem’s decision is not just a victory for the “environmental movement” or for “climate activists”, but a victory for all sensible people.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the message does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by a single milligram. Time may be running out for fossil fuel strategists, but sadly the same applies to all of us as long as emissions don’t go down.
At the same time, it is important to remember that the decision does not reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere by a single milligram.
The corona pandemic has certainly opened a window of opportunity for the world to take a different direction than it is today. But it won’t stay open on its own.
As in all historical development, even in this case there is a strong dynamic between the individual and the structure. Without an enlightened opinion, the first lawn at Lysekil would have already been taken; the suspended expansion shows that citizen participation is an indispensable part of the functioning of democracy. When the deal finally appeared on the media agenda, the general public was also able to see the direct irrationality of the project and, in the end, it was also clear to the owners of the company. Who wants to see families push their electric cars past Preem charging stations in the future in disgust?
As small as a motor vehicle, the world moves forward on its own. Preem’s decision is a little push down the road. But it is up to all of us to push in the right direction.
Read more texts by Björn Wiman.
