I have a challenge for you: try to come up with a company that better exemplifies the archetype of the nefarious, greed-driven, monolithic corporation than Exxon. Besides Haliburton. You have until the end of this blog post to do so. But it's a tall order: Exxon is behind one of the most infamous environmental catastrophes of our time, it makes more gross income than most nations' entire GDPs, and it does business with nations with unstable governments that are often hostile to the US. Worst of all, it has done everything in its power to push a misinformation campaign designed to discredit both climate science and international efforts to keep the earth's temperatures from rising to dangerous levels. And according to recent reports, its still up to its old tricks.
ExxonMobil: Still the Biggest Force Behind Climate Denial
A report in the Independent outlines how the oil giant is still funneling money through various conservative think tanks and organizations in order to propagate the myth that the science behind human-caused climate change is "unsettled." Even though it has repeatedly stated that it would stop doing so. Hell, we even fell for it when they said so (see Exxon turns off the disinformation tap).
We won't fall for it again. We won't fall for it when Exxon publicly calls for a carbon tax, saying it's the best way for them to anticipate costs--knowing full well that such a tax is entirely, 100% impossible politically in the US. Because Exxon has only one, singular goal--and just like that ol' stereotype of the Evil Corporation--it will do anything necessary to continue to turn profits. Even if it means intentionally misleading the public. I know this is starting to sound a bit too much like a Greenpeace press release, but I've had it.
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