The law of unintended consequences

Now the SNP, Just Stop Oil and the Net Zero brigade want to close down oil exploration which employs thousands of people in the North East of Scotland, 40,000 in Aberdeen alone, and thousands more in the supply chains throughout the UK. The attack on fossil fuels is relentless and ill conceived. However much has been said of Peak Oil but what does that mean. Peak oil is when production reaches it’s maximum output and moves forward year on year as new extraction technology allows greater production. Presently calculated at 2030 but new fields are becoming viable year on year. After Peak production the supply will decline but we are not talking of falling of a cliff. It will slow over decades and it may well be that new technologies will at some stage make it unviable. But that would be years away in another lifetime. Remember Petrol and Diesel or not the only products of the petro chemical industry many of which are irreplaceable via other sources from the ubiquitous farmer’s bailing twine to candles.

However there is a law of unintended consequences and one of them is an agricultural trailer manufacturer in Aberdeen that employs sixty people, is a third generation family business which exports all over the world. How can you manufacture trailers in Aberdeen and maintain a satisfactory delivery chain. Answer: the Oil Industry. There are thousands of trucks and ships bringing materials to Aberdeen that are looking for back loads and that is what makes Marshall’s business model viable. Exports are strong with many units sold to New Zealand and Australia. And all this started 74 years ago with a man making wheel barrows. I wonder how many other business’s in the North East from marine engineering to rope making rely on the oil industry to provide employment for Aberdonians and how many would falter and fail without the connections that the oil industry provides. Yes some of these industries can no doubt re-locate, probably supported by local development grants in Corby or Basingstoke, but Scottish jobs for Scottish people. I wonder? I wonder also in tomorrow’s world have many large and successful business’s will have started with a man making wheelbarrows today.

Marshall’s, a true Family Business of the North East