Jean-Marc Jancovici

It is said that George W. Bush Jr. decided to invade Iraq in 2003 because he had read some papers on oil depletion by the Association for the Study of Peak Oil (ASPO). Of course, it may be just a legend, but I don’t see it as impossible, and perhaps not even improbable. Politicians make decisions on the basis of vague ideas, often on the spur of the moment, and in many cases making terrible mistakes. But they normally understand some of the critical elements that keep alive the system. For the US, the critical resource was, and still is, crude oil. So, it is possible that Bush thought that it was necessary to compensate for the decline of the US oil production by seizing the Iraqi resources. That didn’t necessarily imply to start a war, just like filling the tank of your car doesn’t imply shooting dead the service station operator. But that’s the way some people’s minds work.

An international forum for leaders addressing interconnected crises, systemic challenges, the imperative for a new approach, collaborative solutions, and adapting to inevitable consequences. - An international forum for leaders addressing interconnected crises, systemic challenges, the imperative for a new approach, collaborative solutions, and adapting to inevitable consequences. - 25 April 2025 – MagNet Community House, Pallavicini Palace, Budapest