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ENS每週評論:救治我們的世界

Healing Our World: Weekly Comment

說是一套,做是一套 (下)

Say One Thing, Do Another


作者:傑奇•艾倫•朱利安諾 博士

  由於美國依賴石油,這對美國的中東政策影響深遠,即使是今日對阿富汗的戰爭,背後也有化石燃料的因素在作祟,只是媒體沒有把它報導出來罷了。

  上週(約10月中旬時),阿富汗難民抵達伊朗紅新月會在阿富汗邊境所設置的難民營。(照片提供 紅十字會與紅新月會國際聯合會)

  阿富汗是全球最窮困的國家之一,該國2千6百萬民眾每天都要承受政治上、肉體上與制度上的折磨。然而,在這個破碎不堪的地表景觀下面,卻蘊含著可觀的油源;同時,要把亞洲與俄國的石油運到阿拉伯海,進而轉運到西方國家,阿富汗是必經之路。

  據蘇聯的估計,阿富汗經證實與預估的天然氣存量應高達5兆立方英呎;而蘇聯在1970末期所做的一項估計也顯示,阿富汗經證實與預估的石油存量則在9千5百萬桶左右,該國預定的石油鑽探計畫與發展工作本來是計畫要達到每天生產一萬桶的煉油量,但在1979年因蘇聯入侵阿富汗而告停擺。

  美國的石油利益團體已經著手計畫在阿富汗境內開採石油與天然氣。在1998年1月,Unocal公司(以美國資本為主的大石油商,前身為聯合石油公司)與塔利班政權簽約,由Unocal進行一項高達890英哩、花費美金20億的天然氣輸送管線計畫,預計每天生產20億立方英呎的天然氣。

  根據CountryWatch.com所提供的網路資料,它對於阿富汗能源存量的描述是:「目前正在計畫建立一條20億美金的暫時性(天然氣)輸送管線,從土庫曼Dauletabad南方接近阿富汗邊界處,通過阿富汗的赫拉特(Heart)與坎達哈(Kandahar),一直到巴基斯坦的蓋達(Quetta)。這條管線最後又會和巴基斯坦在Sui (一家位於巴基斯坦的天然氣公司- S.S.G.C.)的天然氣輸送網相接。

  阿富汗地圖及其鄰國(地圖提供 美國中情局世界紀實)

  這個天然氣輸送管線計畫的合資集團,是由Unocal為首的中亞天然氣管線有限公司(Central Asian Gas Pipeline Ltd.或稱Centgas),此公司在1996年8月創立。

  CountryWatch.com進而表示,「Unocal與沙烏地阿拉伯的三角洲石油公司(Delta Oil),在此合資集團中持股一共高達85%,土庫曼石油公司則佔5%,其他股東則包括了南韓的現代建設工程、日本的伊藤忠集團,以及印尼石油公司。」

  1998年8月,由於美軍對阿富汗發動軍事攻擊,Unocal遂宣布中止它在阿富汗管線鋪設計畫中的贊助角色。當時美國在非洲的兩座大使館被炸,由於懷疑與奧薩瑪•賓拉登有關,美國旋即於兩週後向阿富汗發射艦載戰斧巡弋飛彈,攻擊阿富汗境內的恐怖份子訓練基地。

  Unocal也強調,這項管線計畫將暫時不會再進行,直到阿富汗成立一個國際承認的政府為止。因為,任何有助於當前阿富汗政權掌控情勢的計劃,都會抵銷美國軍事行動的成效。

  除了這項天然氣管線計畫,Unocal也計畫從土庫曼的Chardzou建立一條穿越阿富汗,直通巴基斯坦、阿拉伯海海岸的輸油管線,這條管線預計長達1千英哩,石油生產量為1天1百萬桶。

  Unocal的執行長查理斯•威廉森,他在2001年1月擔任執行長之前,是國際能源運作計畫(Unocal的部門之一)的執行副主席。(照片提供 Unocal)

  由於Chardzou的鑽油計畫已經和俄羅斯西伯利亞西部的油田連成一氣,這條管線可能將提供裡海區域的石油生產的另一條輸出管道,這條造價高達25億美金的管線就是知名的中亞石油管線計畫。

  阿富汗也有非常豐富的煤礦,據估計有4億噸左右的存量;大部分的煤礦都位於該國北邊,在赫拉特與Badashkan之間的區域。

  雖然沒有人會說阿富汗的化石燃料資源是造成這次戰爭的主因,我們卻很難不去相信,我們的政治與商業界領袖從來沒想過這些關於阿富汗潛在能源蘊含量的事實。

  我們必須再次強調,環境問題在形塑世界政策的過程中,扮演著一個樞紐的地位。

  現在是我們的政客說實話的時間了,他們不應再告訴我們,環境只不過是許多決策中的其中一個政策選項。讓我們一起逼迫他們同意:開採資源、產生能源和這些活動對我們珍貴大自然維生系統的後續影響,才是決定我們在世界中互動的真正基本要素。

  現在該是我們言行合一的時刻了。

參考資料

1.到「替代能源中心」,參考他們對於化石燃料耗竭的看法: http://www.altenergy.org/2/nonrenew
ables/fossil_fuel/depletion/depletion.
html

2.到「和平見證」(Witness for Peace)的網站: http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

3.參見阿富汗環境狀況的詳情: http://www.countrywatch.com/files/
001/cw_topic.asp?Vcountry=001&
TP=ENV

4.從「紅十字會與紅新月會國際聯合會」的網站上,瞭解阿富汗難民的處境: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/
01/100902/

5.關於石油生產的頂峰,可以在以下網站找到資料: http://www.hubbertpeak.com/

6.「和平締造者之聲」(The Peacemakers Speak)的網站上,諾貝爾和平獎得主們對目前的危機有許多看法: http://www.thecommunity.com/
crisis/

7.參見「雨林行動網絡」組織的案例,看他們如何反對進一步的化石燃料鑽探。 http://www.hubbertpeak.com/

8. CARE這幾年都在默默地協助阿富汗民眾,可以在下列網站得知如何對他們提供協助: http://www.thecommunity.com/

9. 「紅十字會與紅新月會國際聯合會」是直接幫助阿富汗民眾的管道。網站如下: http://www.ifrc.org/index.asp

10.「非暴力」組織的網頁提供許多和平組織的連結: http://www.nonviolence.org/links.htm

11.找出你家選區的國會議員是誰並寫信給他們,告訴他們,你希望他們瞭解環境會對任何事情發生影響,如果你知道你家的郵遞區號,你可以透過這個網站找到他們: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
ziptoit.html

傑奇•艾倫•朱利安諾博士是西雅圖的作家與教師。請把你的看法與評論寄到jackie@healingourworld.com ,或是瀏覽他的網站: http://www.healingourworld.com


By Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D.

The United States' dependence on fossil fuels has shaped its Middle East policies dramatically. Even today's war on Afghanistan has fossil fuel undertones that have not been revealed at press briefings.

Afghan refugees arrive last week at a camp set up by the Iranian Red Crescent just inside the Afghan border. (Photo courtesy International Federation Red Cross and Red Crescent)

Afghanistan is one of the world's most impoverished nations and many of its nearly 26 million people suffer daily from the effects of a decimated political, physical, and institutional infrastructure. But under that country's devastated landscape are significant fossil fuel resources. And the only route to get Asian and Russian oil to the Arabian Sea for transport to the West is through Afghanistan.

The Soviets estimated Afghanistan's proven and probable natural gas reserves at up to five trillion cubic feet. Soviet estimates from the late 1970s said Afghanistan's proven and probable oil reserves are around 95 million barrels. All oil exploration and development work as well as plans to build a 10,000 barrel per day refinery were halted after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

U.S. oil interests have already begun planning to extract oil and natural gas from Afghanistan. In January 1998, Unocal, the U.S. based oil giant formerly known as the Union Oil Company, signed an agreement with the Taliban to proceed with an 890 mile, US$2 billion, two billion cubic foot per day natural gas pipeline project, led by Unocal.

The Internet data service CountryWatch.com, in its description of the energy resources of Afghanistan, says, "the proposed $2-billion pipeline tentatively would run from Dauletabad south to the Afghan border and through Heart and Kandahar in Afghanistan, to Quetta, Pakistan. The line would then link with Pakistan's gas grid at Sui."

Map of Afghanistan and its neighbors (Map courtesy CIA World Factbook)

The gas pipeline project consortium headed by Unocal is known as the Central Asian Gas Pipeline Ltd., or Centgas, which was formed in August 1996.

CountryWatch.com goes on to say, "Unocal and Saudi Arabia's Delta Oil hold a combined 85 percent stake in the consortium, while Turkmenrusgas owns five percent. Other participants in the project include Hyundai Engineering & Construction Company of South Korea, Itochu Corporation of Japan, and Indonesia Petroleum Ltd."

In August 1998, Unocal announced that it was suspending its role in the Afghanistan gas pipeline project in light of the U.S. military action in Afghanistan that year. The U.S. had launched cruise missiles against sites in Afghanistan where Osama bin Laden was suspected of training terrorists. The strikes were launched about two weeks after bombings, linked to bin Laden, of two U.S. embassies in Africa.

Unocal has stressed that the gas pipeline project will not proceed until an internationally recognized government is in place. Putting such a government in place has been a stated objective of the current war effort.

Besides the gas pipeline, Unocal has proposed building a 1,000-mile, one million barrel per day capacity oil pipeline that would link Chardzou, Turkmenistan to Pakistan's Arabian Sea Coast through Afghanistan.

Unocal CEO Charles Williamson. Prior to becoming CEO in January 2001, he was executive vice president, International Energy Operations. (Photo courtesy Unocal)

Since the Chardzou refinery is already linked to Russia's Western Siberian oil fields, this line could provide a possible alternative export route for regional oil production from the Caspian Sea. The $2.5 billion pipeline is known as the Central Asian Oil Pipeline Project.

Afghanistan also has significant coal reserves, estimated to be in excess of 400 million tons. Most of the coal is located in the region between Heart and Badashkan in the northern part of the country.

While few would suggest that Afghanistan's fossil fuel resources instigated the current war, it is difficult to believe that these facts about Afghanistan's energy potential are not on the minds of our business and political leaders.

Once again, the environment is playing a pivotal role in the shaping of world policy.

It is time for our leaders to stop telling us that the condition of our environment is yet one of many optional factors to be considered in decision making. Let's get them to admit that resource extraction, energy generation, and their subsequent impact on our precious life support systems are really the foundational elements that shape our interactions in the world.

It is time to stop saying one thing, and doing another.

RESOURCES

1. Visit the Alternative Energy Institute for their view on fossil fuel depletion at: http://www.altenergy.org/2/
nonrenewables/fossil_fuel/deple
tion/depletion.html

2. Visit Witness for Peace at: http://www.witnessforpeace.org/

3. See details on the condition of Afghanistan's environment at: http://www.countrywatch.com/files/001/
cw_topic.asp?Vcountry=001&TP=ENV

4. Learn more about the Afghan people from The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies at: http://www.ifrc.org/Docs/News/01
/100902/

5. More about the peak of oil production can be found at: http://www.hubbertpeak.com/

6. The Peacemakers Speak website has Nobel Peace Prize winners' views on the current crisis at: http://www.thecommunity.com/crisis/

7. See the Rainforest Action Network's case against continued fossil fuel exploration at: http://www.hubbertpeak.com/

8. CARE has been quietly helping the people of Afghanistan for years. Find out how to help them at: http://www.thecommunity.com/afghan.
html

9. The International of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is instrumental in getting aid directly to the Afghan people. Visit them at: http://www.ifrc.org/index.asp

10. The Non-Violence Web Page will give you many links to peace organizations at: http://www.nonviolence.org/links.htm

11. Find out who your Congressional representatives are and e-mail them. Tell them that you want them to take acknowledge that the environment affects everything. If you know your Zip code, you can find them at: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
ziptoit.html

{Jackie Alan Giuliano, Ph.D. is a writer and teacher in Seattle. Please send your thoughts, comments, and visions to him at: jackie@healingourworld.com and visit his website at: http://www.healingourworld.com/

 
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