Sultana Discusses the Feedback Loops Between War and Fossil Fuels in Atmos Article

January 26, 2024

Atmos

Farhana Sultana

Geography & the Environment Department

Environmental Conflict and Collaboration

South Asia Center

Conflict

International Affairs

Middle East & North Africa

Natural Resources

Atmos

Farhana Sultana

As military conflict rages on in Ukraine, Gaza, and now the Red Sea, scholars and activists are increasingly calling out how oil and gas interests motivate war and fund its perpetrators.

“The control of oil and gas resources has been a key factor in many conflicts and geopolitical imperialism, either by providing part of the motivation for an invasion or by helping countries fund their militaries,” says Farhana Sultana, professor of geography and the environment.

“Conflict, in turn, feeds production by driving up oil and gas prices,” she adds, especially when it kicks off in a major oil-producing region like the Middle East.

Read more in the Atmos article, “The Vicious Loop of Blood and Oil.”