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Has Exxon-Mobil *really reformed on AGW since 2007?

Per this quote from Feb. 5, 2007 article by CNN.Money:

"This has become a strategy of Exxon's over the years," said Hoover. "The number one way to fight Kyoto was to insert doubt into people's mind." A recent report from the Union of Concerned Scientists said Exxon spent $16 million between 1998 and 2005 funding 43 "organizations that seek to confuse the public on global warming science." According to Exxon's Web site, the company contributed $240,000 to AEI {American Enterprise Institute- a center for denial machinery} in 2005 and a similar amount in 2004.

An Exxon (Charts) spokesman said the company continues to donate to AEI, but said it does not control what the group does.

But Exxon has recently acknowledged that global warming *is happening. The oil giant conceded that humans are partly to blame for the phenomenon, and pledged to stop funding what many consider to be fringe groups that downplay human's role in global warming.

"There is increasing evidence that the earth's climate has warmed," reads Exxon's latest statement on global warming, issued Friday { Feb., 2007} in response to the UN IPCC study. "CO2 emissions have increased...and emissions from fossil fuels and land use changes are one source of these emissions. "Because the risks to society and ecosystems [posed by global warming] could prove to be significant, it is prudent now to develop and implement strategies that address the risks, keeping in mind the central importance of energy to the economies of the world. This includes putting policies in place that start us on a path to reduce emissions, while understanding the context of managing carbon emissions among other important world priorities, such as economic development, poverty eradication and public health."

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    Not only have they changed their tune, but Exxon even now supports a carbon tax.

    http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=3...

    Basically they see the writing on the wall. Exxon knows that with Democrats in power and Obama in office, there's no point in funding the global warming denial movement anymore. The US government is going to take action on climate change. Exxon has decided that a carbon tax is more in their interest than a carbon cap and trade system, so they've sucked it up, faced reality, and changed their tune.

    In both cases (funding denial and pushing for carbon tax) they're just looking out for their own best interests. They've just decided (correctly) that funding the denial campaign is a waste of money at this point.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Exxon profits are obscene, and it's a safe guess that they're not pumping much of those profits back into GCC.

    The company hasn't reformed as I see it, they've just switched sides according to the advice of their attorneys and for the PR. Reform would be putting a significant amount of their profits back into funding issues associated with the extraction and production of oil. Anything they're funding now is chump change, and hardly makes amends for the deceptions of recent years, not to mention their soiling of Alaskan waters and tying up settlements there for years until they find judges that will reduce them to their satisfaction.

  • J S
    Lv 5
    1 decade ago

    No. ExxonMobil does evil things. I avoid their service stations at all costs.

    If ExxonMobil had reformed they wouldn't be suggesting that we focus on "managing carbon emissions among other important world priorities, such as economic development, poverty eradication and public health." instead of global warming.

    Dead people don't need economic development or healthcare, so how can we ignore global warming and focus on those issues instead?

    Boycott ExxonMobil.

  • JimZ
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago

    You should preface your questions by stating that you are a biased left winger with no factual pretense. The Union of Concerned Scientists aren't interested in science. They are a political group pushing a political agenda. Exxon isn't hurt by a carbon tax. Only a fool would claim that. They pass it on. Carbon taxes hurt consumers. Exxon simply passes it on. In fact carbon taxes would hurt their competition which would greatly expand Exxon's bottom line. If leftist ideas weren't so harmful and ignorant of real world economics, they would be funny. It always amazes me how some people are insistent on remaining ignorant. It is astonishing in fact.

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  • 1 decade ago

    Governments have spent tens of billions of dollars to publicize findings that serve as a rationale to further empower government to limit private production and consumption.

    Private companies have spent millions of dollars to publicize findings that serve as a rationale to allow them to continue to produce their products and offer them for sale.

    You see an ulterior motive in only one of these.....

  • 1 decade ago

    They've reformed as long as it doesn't hurt their bottom line.

    Source(s): Life.
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