………I would have no squabble in doing one of her hits, but we would have to work in some commodity themes into the lyrics. So here are some ideas I am working on pitching her.
Roar – We could definitely belt this one out. Not only does roaring louder, louder than a lion sound like fun, but we could also work in some angle about Singapore (and not just because it would rhyme with roooarrrr!). For Singapore is the direct translation from the Malay word ‘Singapura’, which means …Lion City.
Singapore is fascinating for the fact it has ABSOLUTELY NO DOMESTIC ENERGY RESOURCES (i.e., it imports 100% of its energy needs). But it is also a major petrochemical and refining hub. Approximately 85% of its electricity generation comes from LNG imports, while it imports 1.4 million barrels a day of crude oil – the lion’s share (oh yes I did) of which is refined and sent out as product to countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia.
Hot n Cold – Not to throw a bucket of cold water on singing ‘ROOOOAAARRR!’, but we may have found a winning song here. Whether hot or cold, water usage is prevalent in the world of energy, and specifically hydraulic fracturing. For fracking requires 2 to 7 million gallons of water per well.
This becomes an even greater issue when it is realized that 38% of the world’s shale resources are in places which face high water stress or arid conditions. 61% of shale resources in China are in such areas, while 386 million people live on land above shale plays across the globe, increasing the competition for water in these areas.
Dark Horse – I think we could also be hot to trot with this one, for we could intertwine the song with lyrics about a certain emirate…Dubai. Not only is it renowned for breeding horses, but it is the dark horse of economies – growing 11-fold in the last 33 years, the fastest pace across the globe for any city state.
Although not the capital (that would be Abu Dhabi), Dubai is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The country itself canters along under the momentum of its energy sector; it is currently the third largest oil producer within OPEC behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq, producing over 3 million barrels a day to account for 80% of government revenues, helping it to maintain a sizable annual trade surplus. It is in the top ten countries globally for both proven oil and natural gas reserves, all the while with a population of under 10 million people to share in this wealth.
Firework – We finish with a BANG! and my final suggestion of banging out the song ‘Firework’ together. We could interweave Indian and Chinese themes, as there are fireworks underway on this front.
While China continues to be the engine-room of global growth, being the largest energy consumer in the world and the second largest economy, India is now the fourth largest energy consumer in the world and has set it sights on moving up from the tenth largest economy (is already third by PPP).
As the second most populous country in the world sees its population moving to urban areas, India is needing to ramp up its fossil fuel consumption to meet the greater demand for electricity. And while coal is its largest source for electricity, accounting for 44% of total energy consumption, it is also seeing its appetite for oil increase by such an extent that its rate of growth is now outpacing that of China. Fireworks indeed.
Well there, you have it. We’ve covered various aspects of energy in Singapore, UAE, India, China, and water scarcity across the globe…all through the medium of four songs. Now all that is left is for me to pitch this to Ms. Perry. Wish me luck. Until next time, thanks for playing!
