I just finished reading "Exxon: The Road
Not Taken" produced by InsideClimate
News, an amazing in depth eight month investigative study on climate
change. It documents and verifies what
I, and a most intelligent and educated people have known for many years, that
Exxon was/is the lead entity in creating the whole denier (skeptic) component
in the climate change discussion.
From the early '70's through the late 80's, Exxon’s
excellent research laid the groundwork for almost all the data, modeling,
conclusions, predictions, and warnings that the IPCC has published and called
for action over the years. Their
scientists basically did the research and sounded the alarm of the dangers in
continuing to burn fossil fuels.
However, in the early '90's, Exxon discovered a huge potential gas field
off the coast of Southeast Asia, and realized that the amount of CO2 that would
be release if it was to be developed and burned would created a major dilemma
between what impact that would have on the global environment, economy, and
populous which their research showed, and potential future corporate
profits. Time for corporate moral
responsibility?!! Under the leadership
of Lee Raymond (CEO & president), Exxon chose the path of spending
literally tens of millions of dollars, and using their enormous economic and
political might to create the controversy of misstatements, half truths, and
outright lies which today still resonates with political leaders and the media. Their reach was all inclusive...the
Bush/Cheney administration, the halls of Congress, major media like Fox News,
conservative pundits, academics...their money was able to buy the
"best" PR campaign in civilized history for the past 20+ years, which
has brought us to the critical crossroad we are at today. I keep reflecting on Jim Inhofe, the most
vociferous climate denier elected to the Senate in1992, who wrote in his book
"I used to believe in climate change until I saw the money." Even though they have backed off a bit in
the recent past, Exxon continues to lead the fossil fuel industry in its war on
the changing climate.
So, the American people have been
had...brainwashed by a very slick, complex, and expensive campaign to preserve
the humongous profits of the fossil fuel industry. The effects of climate change predicted 30-40 years ago by Exxon
scientists are now/and have been felt worldwide. The warming of the upper atmosphere due to an increase of CO2
from the burning of fossil fuels is modifying the entire planetary
ecosystem. More extremes in weather
patterns, changes in ocean composition and chemistry, melting of geologic ice,
loss and change of plant and animal diversity, and of course the economic
impacts society is facing now, and the very real predictions that all this will
all get much, much worse.
I have the most sincere respect and gratitude to
the researchers at InsideClimate News
for their excellent work. Go to the
source...read the short book with actual source papers, letters, and reports
from Exxon's documents; look at their summaries of how they accomplished the
media blitz; and follow the legal action taken initially by the state of New
York as it unfolds. Whether any of this
is illegal or not, (hiding and not disclosing facts from their shareholders is
illegal), it poses the most basic questions of morality...human life (all life)
vs. monetary greed, and the role that a few individuals can have on
history…good or bad.
On a side note,
“Exxon Mobil Corp.’s Ken Cohen, who was the public face and voice for
the largest energy producer in the U.S., plans to retire on Jan. 1, the company
said Friday.” He led a fantastic PR
campaign. I’m sure he was paid
well. Little is heard these days from
several of the heavyweight scientists who’s research and studies “proved” that
climate change is hoax because everyone else’s research was flawed. Patrick Michaels and Fred Singer from the
University of Virginia have retired from their academic posts to work for the
conservative think tank The Cato Institute.
Richard Lindzen from MIT now consults with the also conservative
Heartland Institute. Just a sample:
“Singer, a leading climate change skeptic and a frequent contributor to the
Wall Street Journal and other publications. In February of 2012, internal
documents from the Heartland Institute were released to the DeSmogBlog, which
detailed a $5,000 per month stipend to Fred Singer for activities related to
global warming denial.” Check out: http://www.exxonsecrets.org/html/index.php
They all made lots of money over the years…just
like Jim Inhofe and his ilk!
