No Standard Oil: Managing Abundant Petroleum in a Warming World

In her book, "No Standard Oil: Managing Abundant Petroleum in a Warming World," published by Oxford University Press in October 2021, Deborah Gordon examines the widely varying climate impacts of global oils and gases and proposes solutions to cut greenhouse gas emissions in this sector.

Gordon argues that it will be impossible to safely stabilize the global climate without controlling methane and CO2 emissions from the oil and gas sector. Contrary to popular belief, the world will not run out of these resources anytime soon. Consumers will continue to demand these abundant resources to fuel their cars, heat their homes, and produce everyday goods like shampoo, pajamas, and paint. Gordon shows, however, that no two oils or gases are environmentally alike. Each has a distinct, quantifiable climate impact. While all oils and gases pollute, some are much worse for the climate than others. Using an innovative, open-source greenhouse gas estimation model, the Oil Climate Index Plus Gas (OCI+), this book identifies oils and gases from every region of the globe-along with the specific production, processing, and refining activities that are the most harmful to the planet and proposes innovative solutions to reduce their climate footprints. Global climate stabilization cannot afford to wait for oil and gas to run out. No Standard Oil shows how we can take immediate, practical steps to cut greenhouse gas emissions in the crucial oil and gas sector while making sustainable progress in transitioning to a carbon-free energy future.