What happens to the planet if Trump gets his hands on all of Venezuela’s oil?

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🗞️ Driving the news: Donald Trump's plans to increase U.S. oil production from Venezuela could significantly harm the planet
• With Venezuela holding the world's largest oil reserves, Trump seeks to bring U.S. oil companies back, but the extraction of heavy sour crude from Venezuela is particularly harmful
• The oil is energy-intensive to extract, has a higher carbon footprint, and the country’s poor infrastructure exacerbates methane leaks and spills

🔭 The context: Venezuela's Orinoco Belt oil is considered the dirtiest due to its high sulfur content, requiring extra energy to extract and refine
• However, Trump sees this as an opportunity for U.S. companies
• Venezuela’s oil output has halved since 2016, and the infrastructure is deteriorating, making large-scale production a challenging and environmentally risky endeavor

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The extraction of Venezuelan oil would massively increase carbon emissions and methane leaks, worsening climate change
• This type of oil is costly to extract, requires excessive energy, and risks environmental destruction, including oil spills
• This venture would distract from global clean energy goals, reinforcing the reliance on fossil fuels at a critical juncture for climate action

⏭️ What’s next: If the U.S. proceeds with this plan, it risks significant environmental harm and could slow down global efforts to transition to renewable energy
• The project also faces economic uncertainty, with high investment costs needed to revive production, even as global demand for oil stagnates

💬 One quote: "Reviving Venezuela’s oil production would be a very expensive way to produce high-cost, high-emissions oil just as global demand growth is slowing," said Guy Prince, energy expert at Carbon Tracker

📈 One stat: Reviving Venezuela’s peak production would require an estimated $183 billion in investment, underscoring the immense cost of increasing oil output

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