Abstract
The oil industry first started in the 1860s on a local scale. Businessmen invested, at first, in refineries near production sites and around port cities to better export their products. Many port cities around the world developed hand in hand with this oil industry. Oil became increasingly important after the first World War, with national governments involving themselves to secure its access through the protection and support of their own national oil company. Yet, after the last World War, it became evident that oil actors were, directly or indirectly, involved in this support, and influential in public institutions. Although oil companies are greatly responsible for the consequences of climate change, they remain for a long time fairly untouched by legal constraints. Why is this responsibility not translated into strict frames and policies? To understand the current inefficiency of policies and rules, one must try to understand its origins. Through historical, legal, and spatial analyses, this presentation aims to illustrate the influence of oil actors on decision-makers and the population through their control of knowledge. Rather than being supported, oil businessmen came to affect the creation of rules impacting their refineries. Broad definitions, exemptions, and space for interpretations prevailed in the phrasing of regulations. Thus, oil flows not only shaped cities and port cities, but also influenced rules related to spatial planning, health, and environmental protection. These past and present practices are now obstacles to policies trying to address gas emissions and environmental issues.
Presenters
Stephan HauserPostdoctoral Researcher, Helsus, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Etelä-Suomen lääni, Finland
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Technical, Political, and Social Responses
KEYWORDS
Environmental Protection, Governance, Health, History, Law, Oil, Spatial Planning
