CRI听力:Oil Spills Could Benefit Clean Energy

The recent oil pipeline explosion that closed China's northeast port of Dalian must have seemed like adding insult on top of injury to an industry still reeling from the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. What lessons ought to be learnt from these accidents, how will they change the industry, and what effect will they have on the green energy sector?

To answer these questions, CRI's Dominic Swire met with Henry Wang, an international energy expert and advisor to companies and governments around the world.

No sooner had British energy company BP announced that it had plugged the leak in the Gulf of Mexico than news of another spill in China reached the headlines. Coming so soon after the biggest oil spill in US history, I asked energy expert Henry Wang to what extent he thought these accidents have changed the oil industry.

Mr Wang stressed that, by its very nature, deep sea drilling is not only a very risky undertaking, it's getting more difficult as the easily accessible oil wells are drying up.

The recent offshore pipeline explosion in Dalian happened during the transfer of oil, which Mr Wang says is also an operation plagued with difficulties.

If there is anything positive that can come out of the two accidents, Mr Wang says it's a potential boost for green energy as company boards and governments are reminded that this can be a safer way to invest in the energy sector

To what extent the green energy sector will be affected from the aftermath of such oil spills will be difficult to quantify. For the time being we will have to accept the risk of future environmental disasters as it will take many years before the world can be completely weaned off its addiction to oil.

For CRI, I'm Dominic Swire