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JOYTV 10’s THESTANDARD SEARCHES FOR "THE TRUTH ABOUT OIL"

December 18, 2009

We use it to fuel our cars, to heat our homes, and to make such mundane household items as disposable diapers and tortilla chips. Some say we’re addicted to it.

So why do we understand so little about oil?

In the documentary special “Over A Barrel: The Truth About Oil,” Joytv 10’s current affairs flagship The Standard looks at North America’s complex relationship with this natural resource, and asks probing questions about where it comes from, why it costs what it does, and just how much of it we have left.

The Standard presents “Over A Barrel: The Truth About Oil,” on Friday, Dec. 25 at 10 p.m. PST. It repeats on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 8 p.m. PST.

The hour-long documentary was produced for ABC News and Joytv by the host of The Standard, veteran broadcaster Peter W. Klein, who provides the voiceover narration. ABC News anchor Charles Gibson conducts the interviews.

“Over A Barrel” crisscrosses North America to uncover the secrets of the oil industry and search out the answer to a timely question: what is the true cost of oil? It is a quest that takes the viewer from a “tank farm” on a tiny Midwestern town to a massive oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

As the documentary reveals, many factors affect the price of oil, from speculation on the commodities futures market to rising demand in China and India. But experts concur that the real cost of a litre of gas is ultimately much greater than what we pay at the pump. So what are the implications of these hidden costs?

The United States represents barely three percent of the world’s population, yet consumes a quarter of its oil – a situation that, as U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu acknowledges, has the makings of a “train wreck.” Is the North American romance with oil coming to an end – and do alternative energy sources offer any hope for the future?

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Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist Peter W. Klein, a veteran of CBS's 60 Minutes, is the host of The Standard. Produced in Vancouver, The Standard offers unique insight into our complex world. The hour-long show features hard-hitting interviews with newsmakers and personalities from all walks of life, and delivers a no-holds-barred perspective on a wide range of subjects, including politics, religion and entertainment.

For more on The Standard, please visit http://thestandardtv.ca