Vol. 9, No 1, 2012 pp. 39 - 52
UDC 622.323
ENERGY RESOURCES
AND GLOBAL GEOPOLITICAL PROCESSES
Vukašin Šušić, Jelena Živković
Faculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac, Serbia
Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics, University of Niš, Serbia
vukasin.susic@ekngak.ni.ac.rs
Rapid development of the human society over the last two centuries was based on the excessive and uncontrollable use of fossil, non-renewable energy resources. As modern society developed, the need for energy has grown bigger, while the reserves of the non-renewable energy resources have lessened. That is why, nowadays, it is not possible to solve the majority of the global problems without involving energy issues, whether the climate changes are concerned, new world economic crisis or current geopolitical conflicts. Among energy resources, in the modern world, due to their enormous importance as energy resources and raw materials in industry, oil and natural gas have been and still are, geopolitically, the most important 'goods'. Despite all efforts to develop alternative energy sources and to use energy rationally, the position of oil as an energy resource is not severely shaken. Oil reflects the division of the world economic and political power. Disposal of oil wells determines political and economic position of a country, as well as its inner stability or instability and perspective for development. Oil also dictates the position of particular countries in international trade on the global market, and that position depends on the fact whether or not the country is an importer or exporter of oil. For economic, but also military reasons, each country tries to provide sufficient oil supplies; therefore, steady supply of oil has become an important part of security politics of every country. This paper analyses spatial distribution of the reserves, production and consumption of oil and natural gas, with intent to indicate future trends in use. It also deals with possible geopolitical consequences of their use.
Key Words: geopolitical consequences, global problems, energy resources, oil, natural gas
ENERGETSKI RESURSI I GLOBALNI GEOPOLITIČKI PROCESI
Ubrzani razvoj ljudskog društva tokom poslednja dva veka zasnivao se na prekomernom i nekontrolisanom korišćenju fosilnih - neobnovljivih energetskih resursa. Kako se razvijalo moderno društvo, potrebe za energijom su postajale sve veće a rezerve neobnovljivih energetskih resursa sve manje. Zato danas, rešavanje većine globalnih problema nije moguće bez uključivanja energetskih pitanja, bilo da se radi o klimatskim promenama, novoj svetskoj ekonomskoj krizi ili aktuelnim geopolitičkim konfliktima. Među energetskim resursima, u savremenom svetu, zbog ogromnog značaja kao energenata i sirovina u industriji, nafta i prirodni gas su bili i ostali, geopolitički najaktuelnija "roba". Pored svih nastojanja da se razviju alternativni izvori energije i da se energija racionalno koristi, položaj nafte kao energetskog resursa nije ozbiljno uzdrman. Nafta reflektuje raspodelu svetske ekonomske i političke moći. Raspolaganje izvorima nafte određuje političku i ekonomsku poziciju jedne zemlje, ali i njenu unutrašnju stabilnost ili nestabilnost, perspektivu razvoja. Nafta diktira i poziciju pojedinih zemalja u međunarodnoj robnoj razmeni na globalnom tržištu, a ta pozicija zavisi od činjenice da li je ta zemlja uvoznik ili izvoznik nafte. Iz ekonomskih, ali i vojnih razloga, svaka država nastoji da obezbedi dovoljne količine nafte, te je sigurno snabdevanje ovim energentom postalo bitan deo bezbednosne politike svake zemlje. Ovaj rad analizira prostorni razmeštaj rezervi, proizvodnje i potrošnje nafte i prirodnog gasa, sa namerom da ukaže na buduće trendove u korišćenju, kao i njime izazvane, moguće, geopolitičke posledice.
Ključne reči: geopolitičke posledice, globalni problemi, energetski resursi, nafta, prirodni gas
