Letters to the Editor

ExxonMobil: not a good corporate citizen

To the editor:

For several years now, those involved in the climate change arena have known about a massive disinformation campaign being waged by ExxonMobil as they try to obfuscate the issue in order to keep their fossil fuel business booming.

Last month, the Union of Concerned Scientists released a report that put a $16 million price tag on Exxon’s slick campaign.

Here’s how it works. First, Exxon funds a few people with impressive sounding titles to publish something, in some obscure publication, that represents a contrarian view to global warming. Then that message is repeated over and over through their funded network of organizations, their funded platoon of elected officials and even through pseudo-environmental organizations that are totally Exxon-created and funded.

If you would like to see a graphic display of how widespread the ExxonMobil propaganda ploy has become, go to exxonsecrets.org, and when it opens click on “launch.” Each click on new items on the screen yields a new screen of players. It resembles what a lab scientist witnesses when looking at a virus through a microscope. He’s looking at something that will make you sick. Viewing the Exxon disinformation network will have the same effect. You are seeing the most profitable company in the world selfishly spinning the science in order to keep their bottom line fat and their multimillion-dollar bonuses intact.

There are many companies across the nation that demonstrate incredible corporate ethics and civic responsibility. ExxonMobil isn’t one of them.

Edward R. (Ted) Leach
Hancock