But perhaps things are beginning to change. In the past three and a half decades, the regions share of global crude oil production has actually declined, even though its raw output has grown.

The region has also received a large influx of industry, including businesses that are large consumers of energy and that moved from Europe to gain better access to lower cost oil. As a result, there are rising carbon dioxide emissions from companies in the steel, aluminum, cement and chemicals industries. The Middle East is catching up with other regions in the creation of greenhouse gases.

A Green City Rises

It has also begun to join in efforts to solve the problem and to prepare for a world without oil. The United Arab Emirates was chosen in 2009 to be the headquarters of the newly formed International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena). Irena will be located in Masdar City, a new, 14.3 billion development under construction in Abu Dhabi. Masdar, which is Arabic for source, is designed to be powered mainly by renewable energy, to be carbon-neutral and to generate zero waste while housing 50,000 residents and more than 1,500 businesses from around the world by 2020.

The project is part of the federal governments energy policy, published in April 2008, which envisions 6 percent to 7 percent of the nations power being produced from alternative sources (other than nuclear) by 2020.

To date, there are no guidelines for lubricants to be used in Masdar – either during its construction or after completion. Suppliers of any products must register with a procurement system and gain acceptance for their products. The city has an institute that can serve as its standard-making arm.

Given the purpose of the city and the way such things usually work, it seems likely that it will eventually adopt standards for environmentally considerate lubricants. If so, authorities will have two different goals to consider and balance: Should they favor lubricants which themselves are benign (at least relatively) to the environment? Or should they require lubes that will best help machines to minimize environmental impact?

Performance vs. Impact

Should such a choice arise, it would be best to adopt the latter stance – call it opting for lubricant performance over lubricant impact. Some of Masdars key aspects will entail significant lubrication challenges. Helping to power the city is the 100-megawatt Shams solar-thermal energy plant – the biggest of its kind in the world. The city will also derive power from wind turbines, which are encountering wear problems around the globe. Masdar is developing electronic vehicles in collaboration with Mitsubishi, and these will require special engine oils.

When the lubricants industry talks about lubes that are benign to the environment, it often means products that are based on vegetable oils, such as soy bean oil, that have been processed or genetically modified to instill desirable characteristics. The selling points for such bio-lubricants are that they are biodegradable and that the methods of producing them are generally less harmful than oil refining.

Over the years, significant progress has been made in their performance. Recently, special types of synthetic ester have been developed to solve some weaknesses of natural products, such as low-temperature properties, oxidation and foaming tendency.

Its natural to want green lubricants in a green city using renewable energy. In many applications, though, work remains to develop high quality bio-lubricants. In such cases, energy efficiency and equipment protection is much more relevant. Especially in the case of demonstration projects such as Masdar City – initiatives that are meant to show how societies can exist more sustainably – its important to measure success based on their overall impact, not the impact of every little piece of the puzzle.

Importance of Success

The same applies to other environmental projects taking shape elsewhere in the Middle East and North Africa. Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in joining Irena and has begun work on its first solar-powered desalination plant to serve 100,000 inhabitants in Al Khafji. Egypt, Qatar and Kuwait also have ambitious plans for solar power. Bahrain and Yemen are studying potential for combination solar and geo-thermal power plants.

The most ambitious plan to date is the Desertec Industrial Initiative, in which a consortium of European and North African banks and companies are working to build a network of solar power plants in the Middle East and North Africa that would form a high-voltage super grid to supply electricity to Europe. Estimates peg the price tag at $550 billion, but the consortium believes the project could supply 15 percent of Europes electricity by 2050. Those goals are consistent with European targets for shifting to alternative energy sources.

It is good news for all the world that the Middle East is joining efforts to preserve the planet. It is in everyones interest that those involved make wise decisions as they pursue their goals.