7r' oil- is an incornparabr-e source of petroleum, whlch is r.ridety berieved !o bemore crucial for the nititary sector than the econony as a lrhole. ft has beenestinated that petroleun accounts for three fourths of nilitary energy consumption,and it cannot be easiry substituted by sone of the other sources of energy whichcan relieve oil-dependency for several civilian sectors of the econony. In orderfor coar to substitute for oil it must first be converted into petroreun-typefuels, the so-calted synthetic fuels, which reguire billions of dollars ofinvestment and enornous inputs of coar. Estinates prepared in the united statesihdicate that to produce 4 per cent of the present oir. consunption by the deveropedworld would require the construction of 90 coal liquificaeion plants, which vrouldtake r0 years, and a coal import egual to one half of tbe ent:iie united states,coal industry in 1978. Nuclear power plants, it is estirnated, wourd take nore thanr0 years frorn concept ion to operation. Nucrear power's abi).ity to substitute foroil is considered snalli it can only be a source of electricity, which appears toaccount for less than 15 per cent of the industrialized world's total energyxegu:.renents. Solar energy, atthough of greaC long_term potentiali can beintroduced onry very slowly. and its rargest near-term use - for heating - can berealized only after the construction of new dwerrings. rt has been estinated lhateven after reducing their energy consunption by ove! lO per cent over the nextdecade, the developed world's capacity to stay even on the supply side throughneasures of energy substitution !,iII not be easy. 72' The inportance of energy for industry as a whole, and the crucial rore of oil,both as a source of energy and its consumpt ion for nilitary purposes, seens to havepushed energy-related issues to the forefront of security concerns, both forsuPplier and recipient countries. contenpration of the use or lhreat of force toEetain uninlerrupted accessr among sone recipients, and increasing mirirary outraysto deter seizure through coercion, anong several supptiers, have been vitnessedthroughout the niddle to the rate r97os. rc has been estinated that between 1970and 1980, there were as nany as 366 incidents of domestic and external acts causingmajor to sev€re danage of energy-related targets arr over the worrd. 3?/ Arnong theenergy-related facilities so darnaged were power lines, power stationslndsubstations, pipelines, storage praces, refineries, oir-werrs, wires, coal-trains,oil-tankers, hydroelectric mills and nuclear pogrer plants.
**Analysis**
The text discusses the crucial role of oil in the military sector and the challenges of substituting it with other energy sources. It highlights the security concerns and risks associated with energy-related targets, such as power plants, pipelines, and refineries. The text also touches on the limitations of alternative energy sources, such as nuclear power and solar energy, in meeting the energy demands of the military sector. Overall, the text emphasizes the importance of energy security and the need for reliable energy supplies.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, Industry