Abstract
encouraged as a mechanism for the development of the Global South. Even
though the sector is characterized by major accidents, oil-based developmentalist narratives claim that such accidents are merely isolated incidents that can be administratively addressed, redressed behaviorally through education of certain individuals, or corrected through individually targeted post-event legislation. Adapting Harvey Molotch’s (1970) political economy methodology of “accident research”, this paper argues that such “accidents” are, in fact, routine in the entire value chain of the oil system dominated by, among others, military-backed TNCs which increasingly collaborate with national and local oil companies similarly wedded to the ideology of growth. Based on this analysis, existing policy focus on improving technology, instituting and enforcing more environmental regulations, and the pursuit of economic nationalism in the form of withdrawing from globalization are ineffective. In such a red-hot system, built on rapidly spinning wheels of accumulation, the pursuit of slow growth characterized by breaking the chains of monopoly and oligopoly, putting commonly generated rent to common uses, and freeing labor from regulations that rob it of its produce has more potency to address the enigma of petroleum accidents in the global south.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Environmental Impacts of Transnational Corporations in the Global South |
| Editors | Paul Cooney, William Sacher Freslon |
| Number of pages | 32 |
| Publisher | Emerald Group Publishing Limited |
| Publication date | 14 Jan 2019 |
| Pages | 111-142 |
| ISBN (Print) | 978-1-78756-035-2 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-78756-034-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Jan 2019 |
| MoE publication type | A3 Book chapter |
Publication series
| Name | Research in Political Economy |
|---|---|
| Publisher | JAI Press |
| Volume | 33 |
| ISSN (Print) | 0161-7230 |
Fields of Science
- 5203 Development Studies
- petroleum
- accumulation and rent
- Africa
- global south
- political economy
- TNCs
Cite this
}
Petroleum Accidents in the Global South. / Obeng-Odoom, Franklin.
Environmental Impacts of Transnational Corporations in the Global South. ed. / Paul Cooney; William Sacher Freslon. Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 2019. p. 111-142 (Research in Political Economy; Vol. 33).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review
TY - CHAP
T1 - Petroleum Accidents in the Global South
AU - Obeng-Odoom, Franklin
PY - 2019/1/14
Y1 - 2019/1/14
N2 - Transnational corporation (TNC)-led oil investments have been widelyencouraged as a mechanism for the development of the Global South. Eventhough the sector is characterized by major accidents, oil-based developmentalist narratives claim that such accidents are merely isolated incidents that can be administratively addressed, redressed behaviorally through education of certain individuals, or corrected through individually targeted post-event legislation. Adapting Harvey Molotch’s (1970) political economy methodology of “accident research”, this paper argues that such “accidents” are, in fact, routine in the entire value chain of the oil system dominated by, among others, military-backed TNCs which increasingly collaborate with national and local oil companies similarly wedded to the ideology of growth. Based on this analysis, existing policy focus on improving technology, instituting and enforcing more environmental regulations, and the pursuit of economic nationalism in the form of withdrawing from globalization are ineffective. In such a red-hot system, built on rapidly spinning wheels of accumulation, the pursuit of slow growth characterized by breaking the chains of monopoly and oligopoly, putting commonly generated rent to common uses, and freeing labor from regulations that rob it of its produce has more potency to address the enigma of petroleum accidents in the global south.
AB - Transnational corporation (TNC)-led oil investments have been widelyencouraged as a mechanism for the development of the Global South. Eventhough the sector is characterized by major accidents, oil-based developmentalist narratives claim that such accidents are merely isolated incidents that can be administratively addressed, redressed behaviorally through education of certain individuals, or corrected through individually targeted post-event legislation. Adapting Harvey Molotch’s (1970) political economy methodology of “accident research”, this paper argues that such “accidents” are, in fact, routine in the entire value chain of the oil system dominated by, among others, military-backed TNCs which increasingly collaborate with national and local oil companies similarly wedded to the ideology of growth. Based on this analysis, existing policy focus on improving technology, instituting and enforcing more environmental regulations, and the pursuit of economic nationalism in the form of withdrawing from globalization are ineffective. In such a red-hot system, built on rapidly spinning wheels of accumulation, the pursuit of slow growth characterized by breaking the chains of monopoly and oligopoly, putting commonly generated rent to common uses, and freeing labor from regulations that rob it of its produce has more potency to address the enigma of petroleum accidents in the global south.
KW - 5203 Development Studies
KW - petroleum
KW - accumulation and rent
KW - Africa
KW - global south
KW - political economy
KW - TNCs
M3 - Chapter
SN - 978-1-78756-035-2
T3 - Research in Political Economy
SP - 111
EP - 142
BT - Environmental Impacts of Transnational Corporations in the Global South
A2 - Cooney, Paul
A2 - Sacher Freslon, William
PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited
ER -