And to think that some people believe wind farms look like blots on the landscape. This was once bare land but is now home to oil drill after oil drill; a whole oil field, spanning wide and deep and disappearing over the edge of the horizon. Based in California, this is the Kern River oil field, and has been open and working since 1899.
The amount of oil that can be produced from fields like these is monumental. During its time of operation, the Kern River oil field has produced in excess of two billion barrels of oil. Although it was once feared that the supply below the ground was close to running out, further research has suggested that there may be up to 500 million barrels worth still in the ground, which suggests it will run for at least another thirty years before it bleeds the earth dry. All that will be left is a barren wasteland.
To insure one’s house, one’s car or to underwrite a life insurance policy, that is common practice. But who would pay an insurance premium for his/her thumb, legs or smile? Stars, of course.
At the top of the ranking are the legs of Mariah Carey, worth 810 million USD: The diva became, in 2006, the Gillette brand muse for the advertising campaign «Legs of a Goddess». She then took out an insurance policy with London Lloyds to protect her legs, a decision that is far from being insignificant. Among its customers, the London insurer then included several icons of music, such as Bob Dylan or Rod Stewart.
David Beckham’s body insured for 195 million USD: European champion with Manchester United in 1999, David Beckham was in 2006 the most renowned footballer of the planet. In relation to his sporting activities, he took out an insurance cover for his legs. The huge amount paid for his insurance would reportedly exceed the 103 million USD disbursed by Real Madrid for the cover of Christiano Ronaldo in 2009. The fashion model would later extend his insurance cover to his entire body.
15 million USD in insurance for Kim Kardashian’s curves: The curves of Kim Kardashian are her number one beauty asset. The reality TV star, who is crazy about plastic surgery, has underwritten an insurance policy worth 15 million USD to protect her famous butt.
The culinary critic Egon Ronay assured his taste buds: The famous Hungarian culinary critic has insured his taste buds since 1957, for the amount of 400 000 USD. An original insurance policy which allows him to cover his sense of taste without which he will no longer be able to practice his job.