Human Rights Violations of Oil Producing Nations; A Case for American Energy Independence

Nathan D. Vavro¹^,² and Matthew E. Vavro¹
¹Vavco, LLC, Butler, PA, [email protected]
²Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA, [email protected]

The case for American energy independence has largely been based on the country’s vulnerability to demand fluctuation. In a global marketplace, these fluctuations may result in a loss of control over fuel and fuel dictated costs, as well as a compromise in national security. With an ever-growing global awareness, atrocities committed by political parties, as well as laws and customs designed to degrade human rights, are made evident. Funds supporting those in power are often procured via direct government control over business, or a heavily socialized economy under parliamentary jurisdiction. Purchasing crude oil produced by these nations maintains the wealth necessary for political parties to continue to commit human rights violations, both within their borders and against citizens of foreign lands. 80 nations currently export oil to the United States and 25 of these have been identified by Amnesty International as having poor human rights records. Of these 25, 9 countries are members of OPEC. Persecution based on religion, sex, race, and social class as well as unlawful detention and torture top the list of offenses. By committing to an energy independence initiative, the United States can decrease and potentially eliminate the inadvertent funneling of money to organizations responsible for these violations.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90154©2012 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, 22-26 September 2012