A recent harrowing climate report released by the U.S. Government shed light on a dark future for the nation. With a focus on the impending damages of CO2 emissions, the report emphasized a stark warning: If provisions for oil, fuel and energy production can’t reign in the climate, the entire world will suffer.

But potential doom facing the planet has one nation licking its chops at the opportunities posed by melting ice caps. Vladimir Putin and Russian leadership plan to contradict economic and climate control common sense by expanding oil drilling in the Russian arctic with hopes that rising sea levels and continued melting will allow their greedy rampage to storm even further north.

Russia is putting the world economy at risk by not promoting evolving renewable energy and technology for the future. The measures it is aiming for will destabilize oil prices and limit long-term global economic development.

Russia reemphasized its reluctance to cut oil production last week as crude oil prices continued to plummet due to demand concerns and global supply surpluses. President Trump is pleased with the prospect of lower prices, but Saudi Arabia, one of the global leaders in the oil industry, suffers from these lower prices and is taking curb production provisions and stirring higher prices.

This recent oil bear market is providing leaders in the technologically-advanced and eco-friendly electric energy industry to promote their visions for the future that emphasize the importance of acting swiftly to save the planet. The most vocal leader in the industry is Elon Musk, who has become a leading figure in driving the world toward innovation.

But to the chagrin of Mother Earth, Russia is too closed-minded to see the profits innovation can provide. While Musk and other revolutionary entrepreneurs enjoy the world from a step ahead and make billions, Russian leadership is focused on filling bank accounts with the dying industry of draining the earth.

The nearly 1,700-page report published by the White House the day after Thanksgiving warns of catastrophe within the next 80 years: mass destruction caused by extreme weather, food shortages the award-winning film “Interstellar” foreshadowed and thousands of people dying each year. The doomsday predictions of the climate report will not come true for the United States so long as innovative heroes of tomorrow continue to change the world. Sadly, Russian stubbornness and old-fashioned ideas will drag down humanity.

An insufficient amount of mental and physical resources are being used in Russia to improve quality of life for tomorrow. The United States has thrived by growing its economy upward through innovating daily life, recognizing shortcomings and waving goodbye to inefficiencies of yesteryear. But in Russia, as evidenced by its big bet on old-fashioned oil, Putin and his cronies are growing laterally by building an economy with the 1870s vision of a young John Rockefeller, who had just founded Standard Oil.  

The problem with living in the past is not that it’s techniques were bad — Rockefeller’s oil changed the world for the better — but it prohibits the world from evolving and eliminates the likelihood quality of life can improve as populations grow.

Considering the report highlighted overpopulation as one of the biggest fears for the 21st century, quality of life improvements are extremely important. But nothing will improve if global superpowers continue to live in the earth-warming past.

Vladimir Putin clearly wants Russia to become an economic superpower that can rival the U.S. and China, but he lacks the visionary gifts of the Musk and Rockefeller. By remaining steadfast in dedicating most economic resources to oil drilling, refinement and shipping, Russia has only found a short term, economic sugar high that could result in a crash for the entire planet.

Prospects for oil discovery in the north are undoubtedly promising for Russia, but what’s the point of investing all capital into a venture that will kill off the people who demand the product?

Mother Russia is only as strong as Mother Nature deems just.

Fred is a freshman in Media.

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