The impact, culturally and environmentally, of the oil industries on Scotland have been immense. Now this industry is facing it’s own decline. The current energy crisis could have been readily predicted many years ago, but only now is the “bad” old oil industry reinventing itself as a bright new herald of sustainable energy delivery. However, the fragile ecologies of British wilderness and rural life are still perceived to be threatened by new “renewable” energy industries by some.

I am interested in exploring the effect of these old and new energy industries, from a local and personal perspective, through the people and landscapes in their proximity. I will be visiting several locations of existing or proposed energy production in the UK and Norway to research the visual impact on communities, natural habitats and rural agricultural practices. I will be hoping to discover surprising juxtapositions, human perseverance, courage and perhaps unexpected beauty in places of energy work and production. Oil&Air is supported by a Rootstein Hopkins Foundation Grant.

Dr. Angela Geary, July 2007