THE OTHER FACE OF JANUS - THE DISADVANTAGES OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Abstract

'Without energy, there would be no humans; there would be no human civilization", nothing but a defenceless creature...' Transforming the elements of the nature into energy represents the basis of human development. As a civilization, we owe everything to this capacity of transformation: our standard of living, the technical achievements, and the intellectual life. So, it is logical to try to keep this standard and to improve it constantly. The improvement has meant an upgrading of the material used to obtain the magical transformation of the natural elements into caloric energy: wood, coal, oil, natural gas, uranium, plutonium.Holding (in proximity if possible) the necessary elements of energy production represents a kg factor in development. Nowadays, in the conditions of an ever-increasing scarcity of the close-0 energetic resources, the battle to control these resources has unimaginable stakes. This is why the countries blessed with today's most wanted resources are often seen as rejoicing their privileged situation, while the resources-bingo, industrialized countries look jealously to these riches they must sometimes buy at prohibitive prices.However, the situation is not so rosy; on the contrary. In the following paper; the current situation, so vividly depicted in the media as a fight between the "good" (who need the oil and gas in order to keep their level of civilization) and the "bad" (those who dare raise the prices and use the world's needs in energy to their advantage), will be portrayed from a different perspective. Holding important natural resources reserves might prove to have significant shortcomings that many energy-producing countries must face.