11/7/2015

Exxon Mobil and the G.O.P.: Fossil Fools - The New York Times

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CONTRIBUTINGOPEDWRITER

ExxonMobilandtheG.O.P.:FossilFools
NOV.5,2015

TimothyEgan

Wellbeforeonehottestyeareverwasfollowedbyyetanotherrecord
breaker,beforeArcticicevanishedinrealtimeandPopeFrancismadea
pleatosaveourtroubledhome,theworldslargestprivateoilcompany
discoveredthatitschiefproductcouldcauseglobalhavoc.
Asanaccidentalpublicservice,thisdeedwaslittleknownuntil
recently,whenatroveofdocumentsunearthedbyseveralnews
organizationsshowedWhatExxonKnewandWhenItKnewIt.Anditwas
reportedThursdaythattheNewYorkattorneygeneralisstartingan
investigationtodeterminewhetherthecompanyliedabouttherisksof
climatechange.
Itsnotsurprising,givenitsarmyoffirstratescientistsandengineers,
thatExxonwasawareasfarbackasthe1970sthatcarbondioxidefromoil
andgasburningcouldhavedireeffectsontheearth.Norisitsurprising
thatExxonwouldlatertrytocastdoubtonwhatitsexpertsknewtobetrue,
toinjectinformationalpollutionintotheriverofknowledgeaboutclimate
change.
Butwhatisstartlingishowadeliberatecampaignofmisinformation
nowdisavowedbyevenExxonMobilitselfhasfounditswayintothe
mindsoftheleadingRepublicanpresidentialcandidates.

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11/7/2015

Exxon Mobil and the G.O.P.: Fossil Fools - The New York Times

Youcanseetheoriginofthiswebofduplicityinstoriesdonebythe
PulitzerPrizewinningInsideClimateNewsandTheLosAngelesTimes.
Kudostoboth.TheyfoundthatExxonsboardofdirectorswasfullybriefed
byitsownscientists,decadesago,ontheemergingconsensusthatburning
oilandgasmaycausesealevelstorise,glacialicetomeltandahostof
othergenerallynegativeconsequences.Theirreactionwastofundthe
kindofcounterinformationcampaignsthatSovieterapropagandists
wouldbeproudof.
So,evenasoneinhousememostatedthatfossilfuelscontributemost
oftheCO2thatwasturningtheearthintoanoverheatedgreenhouse,
anothermemoshowedthatthecompanywouldseektoemphasizethe
uncertaintyinscientificconclusions.
From1998to2005,Exxonproceededtodojustthat,contributing
almost$16milliontoorganizationsdesignedtomuddythescientific
waters.Exxoncameclean,initsway,in2007,whenitpublicly
acknowledgedthattheearthswarmingwascaused,inlargepart,byCO2
fromtheverystuffthatmadebillionsforExxon.Itpromisedtonolonger
fundclimatechangedeniers.
ButnowtheleadingRepublicanpresidentialcandidates,withafar
biggermegaphonethanExxoneverhad,arepromotingtheveryjunk
sciencethatwashatched,inpart,inExxonsboardroom.
Asaglobalcitizen,Exxonfailedmiserably,tosaytheleast.Ahostof
organizations,andsomepoliticianshavecalledforExxontobeprosecuted
forfraudnotunlikethatwhichtobaccocompaniesengagedinwhenthey
hidtherisksofsmoking.Exxonarguesthatitwasaclimatechange
pioneeranddidntsomuchdeceivethepublicasstirabroaderdebate.
Atleastitisnowonrecordasstatingtheobvious:thatclimatechange
isreal,andhumancaused,andthatsomethingperhapsbeneficialtoits
corporatebottomlineneedstobedone.
TheRepublicansdidnotgettheupdatedmemo.Theirtwoleading

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11/7/2015

Exxon Mobil and the G.O.P.: Fossil Fools - The New York Times

candidatesforoffice,BenCarsonandDonaldTrump,denytheconsensusof
humancausedclimatechange.Theyrestillreadingfromquartercentury
oldExxontalkingpoints.
Trumpcallsclimatechangeatotalhoax.Hearrivedatthisposition,
judgingbyseveraltweets,afterexperiencingacoupleofespeciallycold
winterdaysinNewYork.Thisisamanwhohasboughtintoeverynutty
conspiracytheory,andstokedmuchofthesame,aboutPresidentObamas
birthallwithoutashredofevidence.Buthewonttaketheworlds
leadingscientistsattheirpeerreviewedword.Ifthisisthekindof
judgmentyouwantintheOvalOffice,gettheetoTrumpTower.
AndheresCarson:IlltellyouwhatIthinkaboutclimatechange,he
saidearlierthisyear.Thetemperatureiseithergoingupordownatany
pointintime,soitreallyisnotabigdeal.Ah,well.Healsobelievesthe
pyramidsofEgyptwerebuilttostoregrainratherthanastombsforkings
andqueens.Hey,itsallthereintheBible,Carsonsays,foryoufact
obsessedarchaeologists.
HowdoyouexplaintheboastfulignoranceofotherleadingRepublican
candidates?ItsapoliticalvariantofUptonSinclairslineabouthowItis
difficulttogetamantounderstandsomethingwhenhissalarydepends
uponhisnotunderstandingit.
IntryingtowinthesupportoftheKochbrothers,SenatorsTedCruz,
MarcoRubioandRandPaulhavesignedapledgetodothebiddingofthe
billionaireoilindustrialists,promisingtoopposeanylegislationrelatingto
climatechangethatwouldinvolvehighertaxesorfees.
Cruzhasgonetheextrastepofdenyingtheveryexistenceofclimate
change,anassertionthatputshimatoddswiththreefourthsofthe
Americanpublic.
Justpauseforasecondtosoakinthemagnitudeofthisselloutby
thesecandidatestoapairofmenwhovevowedtospend$889million
influencingthe2016election.

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Exxon Mobil and the G.O.P.: Fossil Fools - The New York Times

ThenimagineaPresidentTrumporCruzshowingupattheParis
summitonclimatechangelaterthismonthandsaying,sorry,theUnited
Statesnolongerbelievesinscience.
AversionofthisopedappearsinprintonNovember7,2015,onpageA23oftheNewYork
editionwiththeheadline:ExxonMobilandtheG.O.P.

2015TheNewYorkTimesCompany

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