
Researchers say Exxon duped public over climate concerns - Geekette
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-23/exxon-duped-public-over-climate-concerns-harvard-research-says
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xoa
The actual paper [0], despite the authors' thoroughness, is actually quite
readable and well worth a look at least alongside the various media summaries.
There are interesting comparisons to be made to the tobacco lawsuits and to
concerns over PR by the sugar industry over the last 50 years, though I think
any legal action is most likely to be far in the future as climate damages
really ramp up.

0: "Assessing ExxonMobil's climate change communications (1977–2014)",
[http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa815f](http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa815f)

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QAPereo
Legal action at this rate is going to amount to holding an impromptu trial on
the deck of the Titanic.

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epistasis
>Exxon said it acknowledges climate change is a risk that requires action, and
it dismissed the conclusions of the study, saying the researchers are looking
for money.

>“The study was paid for, written and published by activists leading a five-
year campaign against the company,” Exxon said in an emailed statement. “It is
inaccurate and preposterous. Rather than pursuing solutions to address the
risk of climate change, these activists, along with trial lawyers, have
acknowledged a goal of extracting money from our shareholders and attacking
the company’s reputation.”

I wonder if the emailed statement ever rose above the ad hominem that was
quoted.

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will_brown
I actually think this is fantastic precedent set on the part of Exxon,
essentially we can conclude any study paid for, written and published by the
oil industry will be dismissed as inaccurate and preposterous so long as the
conclusion benefits shareholders of the oil industry or defends the reputation
of the oil industry in anyway.

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ehutch79
You mean the head of the EPA's former company?

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cmurf
Pruitt was the AG of Oklahoma. You're thinking of Tillerson who is the current
Secretary of State. Yes, it is easy to forget him seeing as he doesn't say
much, and is busier dismembering the department of state than advocating for
it either within government or among other governments.

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Jordanpomeroy
+1 for dismantling government bureaucracy

-1 for deceiving us about global warming, maybe

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guelo
Yea the world's most powerful country doesn't need diplomats. China, EU and
Russia's diplomats can make their wimpy negotiations between countries. We'll
just let CEOs have free reign to make whatever real deals they want to.

In fact, we don't need any government at all. We just need to give
corporations free rein, they always know what's best for all of us.

