The Oil Machine explores Britain's economic, historical and emotional entanglement with oil, by looking at the conflicting imperatives around North Sea oil. This invisible machine at the core of British economy and society now faces an uncertain future as activists and investors demand change - is this the end of oil?
By highlighting the complexities of how oil is embedded in our society - from high finance to cheap consumer goods – this documentary brings together a wide range of voices, from oil company executives and economists, to young activists and pension fund managers, and considers how this machine can be tamed, dismantled or repurposed.
We have five to ten years to control our oil addiction, and yet the licensing of new oil fields continues in direct contradiction with the Paris Climate Agreement. This documentary looks at how the drama of global climate action is playing out in the fight over North Sea oil.
