Episodes

3 episodes in this season

How Oil Made Us

60 min

Now Playing

The Carbon Wars

60 min

Climate Wars

60 min

Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

TV Series

20151h8.0

Documentary

Now playing

The Carbon Wars

Season 1 · Episode 2 · Feb 17, 2015

By the early 1950s, a holy trinity of oil, plastics and fertilisers had transformed the planet. But as Professor Iain Stewart reveals, when the oil producing countries demanded a greater share in profits from the Western energy companies, the oil and gas fields of the Middle East became a focus for coup d'états and military conflict. In the North Sea, Prof Stewart recalls the race against time to find alternative supplies in the shallow, but turbulent waters both here and in America's Gulf coast. The offshore discoveries in the 1970 proved to be a game changer. It marked an engineering revolution; the moment when 'difficult' oil and gas (previously unviable sources) could be commercially produced from the ocean depths. It was the moment when Western Europe and the US finally unshackled themselves from their 20th-century energy security nightmare.

More details

Planet Oil: The Treasure That Conquered the World

TV Series

20151h8.0

Documentary

Now playing

The Carbon Wars

Season 1 · Episode 2 · Feb 17, 2015

More details