The Inquiry

Global oil markets have been affected by the US Israel war with Iran, leading to higher jet fuel prices and increased attention on supply risks.
But how serious is the situation? While some experts point to tightening supply chains and regional bottlenecks, others say there is no clear evidence so far of immediate shortages.
Even so, the refining and distribution of jet fuel remains a potential vulnerability, as disruption can have notable impacts even when crude oil itself is available. With air travel crucial to trade and tourism, the resilience of fuel supply is a growing concern for economies and travellers. Can alternative suppliers and fuel sources help limit the impact of future disruption?
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: are countries really running out of jet fuel?
Contributors
Zach Aman, professor of chemical engineering, the University of Western Australia
Ahmed Mehdi, senior fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies and managing director at Renaissance Energy Advisors, UK
Dumebi Oluwole, lead economist at Stears, Nigeria
Li Qiao, Professor of aeronautics and astronautics, Purdue University, US
Presenter: Rajan Datar
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical producer: Mitch Goodall
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Airline worker attaching fuel pipe to plane to refuel. Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The recent Nasa Artemis II crewed mission to the far side of the Moon is a further step towards a long-term return to the lunar surface and future missions to Mars. The plan is that before the end of the decade there will be a crewed landing and the start of a Moon base. China is among those developing similar plans. Previous missions both crewed and uncrewed have provided evidence of resources that potentially could be of use here on Earth, and support human life on the Moon.
So, it’s not just the race to the Moon that’s capturing the world’s attention, but also the possible economic benefits that that might bring with it. The Moon’s surface or lunar regolith contains volatiles like hydrogen, carbon dioxide and methane. There is evidence of minerals such as silicate and oxides and metals like aluminium and titanium, which could be extracted for building materials. And something that is rare on Earth, Helium-3, a potential resource for clean fusion energy. Governments in conjunction with private corporations are already working on the technology to extract these resources.
Concerns have been raised about the potential damage to the Moon, not only in terms of the depletion of its resources, but in terms of its scientific value and its cultural heritage. Protection ranges from established treaties that prohibit ownership of the moon, to national laws that permit resource extraction. But to date, there is no universally accepted international law in place, which explicitly permits or prohibits lunar mining.
So, this week on the Inquiry, we’re asking ‘Should we mine the Moon?’
Contributors:
Dr Dylan Mikesell, principal geophysicist, NGI-The Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway
Dr Justin Holcomb, assistant research professor, Kansas Geological Survey, University of Kansas, USA
Prof Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, director of ETH Space, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich, Switzerland
Dr Tanja Masson-Zwaan, assistant professor and deputy director, International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University, The Netherlands
Presenter: William Crawley
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Nicky Edwards
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: The Moon. Credit: Reuters/BBC Images)

Conflict in the Middle East has led to volatility in global oil prices, pushing up fuel costs worldwide. Previous oil shocks prompted some countries to reconsider their reliance on cars, investing in alternatives such as cycling. In some places, this has become part of everyday life, while elsewhere it has proved more contested, reflecting wider political and cultural divides.
Cycling offers benefits for health and the environment, but it is not practical for everyone. For many people, including those in rural areas or with limited mobility, cars remain everyday essentials.
As oil price volatility continues to affect motorists, questions remain about how far behaviour can change.
This week on The Inquiry, we’re asking: is it time to swap four wheels for two?
Contributors:
Meredith Glaser, CEO of Urban Cycling Institution, professor of cycling at Ghent University, Belgium, and a senior lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
Levke Sönksen, research associate at the German Institute of Urban Affairs, Germany
Dr Eunhye Enki Yoo, professor of Geography at the University of Buffalo, US
Martin Tillman, independent transport consultant, UAE
Presenter: Gary O’Donoghue
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Richard Hannaford
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Cyclists ride bicycles in Amsterdam. Credit: George Clerk/Getty Images)

Broadcasters from The Netherlands, Ireland, Iceland, Spain and Slovenia are all boycotting May’s Eurovision Song Contest because Israel is participating.
Sources within Israel’s broadcaster say calls for it to be banned are unjustified, and organisers of the contest insist it must remain politically neutral, describing the event as "a platform for displaying the importance of peace and unity in a divided world".
The boycott has sparked one of the biggest crises in Eurovision’s 70-year history. In several cases, the position to withdraw also reflects wider pressure from politicians and public opinion. How will countries boycotting Eurovision affect the contest?’
Contributors:
Natalija Gorščak, president of the management board of RTV, Slovenia
Dr Bárbara Barreiro León, lecturer in film and visual Culture, University of Aberdeen, UK
Dr Heather Dichter, associate professor of sport history and sport management, De Montfort University, UK
Dr Dean Vuletic, author Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest, Luxembourg
Presenter/Producer: Daniel Rosney
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Sound Engineer: James Bradshaw
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: Eurovision flags. Credit: Georg Hochmuth/Getty Images)

For the second time in 12 years Glasgow is preparing to host the Commonwealth Games after Australia’s Victoria state pulled out because of increased costs. Victoria’s withdrawal raised questions about whether the 2026 games would go ahead before Glasgow agreed to step in.
Staging a sporting mega-event is expensive and governments face increasing scrutiny over public spending. Victoria’s decision raised wider questions about affordability for potential hosts. At the same time, critics question the Games’ political relevance, given its origins in Britain’s colonial past.
The Commonwealth Games Federation says the event can be delivered in a more sustainable way and argues that it brings cultural and economic benefits to host cities, but recent editions have run into significant costs and budget pressures.
This week on The Inquiry, Tanya Beckett asks ‘Is it time to scrap the Commonwealth Games?’
Contributors:
Dr Stuart Whigham, senior lecturer in sport, coaching and physical education at Oxford Brookes University, UK
Dr Matthew McDowell, lecturer in sport policy, management, and international development at the University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr Verity Postlethwaite, lecturer in strategic event management at Loughborough University, UK
Professor Gayle McPherson, associate dean for research at the University of the West of Scotland, and director of legacy and community engagement for Commonwealth Games Scotland, UK
Presenter: Tanya Beckett
Producer: Matt Toulson
Researcher: Evie Yabsley
Editor: Tom Bigwood
Technical Producer: Craig Boardman
Production Management: Phoebe Lomas and Liam Morrey
(Photo: 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Credit: Adrian Dennis/Getty Images)