Big Oil lies

 It should surprise no one that "big oil" in the form of companies like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell and BP have found the truth about their behaviour unwelcome, and are finally being forced to admit the truth in US congressional hearings. Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, writes in the Guardian (17 September 2022): “If there is one thing consistent about the oil and gas majors’ position on climate, it’s their utter inability to tell the truth...” The co-Chair of the investigating committee is even more blunt: "The oil giants’ 'climate pledges rely on unproven technology, accounting gimmicks and misleading language to hide the reality...'” (LINK) 

The sad fact is that this lying has gone on for a long time. These companies make enormous profits and feel justified in continuing to exploit the planet because much of modern western society believes explicitly or implicitly that wealth-maximization is good and proper. In recent years a few activists have gone to court or to  legislative committees to force the big oil companies to admit wrong-doing, but this comes nowhere near to persuading them to rectify the damage they have done, or even to stop the damage they are still doing. 

Will these companies undergo a genuine, heartfelt conversion? Unfortunately the incentives all favour a continuation of lying and pollution. God's creation is at risk and will grow even more at risk until they have a change of heart.

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