WASHINGTON - January 26 - While Americans suffered through hurricanes Katrina and Rita and sky-high spikes in oil prices this year, ExxonMobil netted the largest profit in the history of corporate America. On Monday, the world’s largest oil company is expected to announce a record-breaking annual profit of roughly $32 billion for 2005.

As the company prepares its announcement, the environmental problems caused by the company are lampooned in a new animated cartoon to be released on Monday by the ExxposeExxon.com Coalition. The funny one-minute FLASH cartoon, "Toast the Earth" mocks the company for spending its record profits on backwards energy policies while sabotaging efforts to slow global warming and shortchanging communities affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

ExxonMobil is the only major oil company that is still a member of Arctic Power, the special interest group that lobbies Congress in support of drilling in the Arctic Refuge, and funds organizations working to confuse the public about the broad scientific consensus on the causes of and solutions to global warming.

The animated cartoon can be seen online at http://www.ExxposeExxon.com/movie. The video’s original song “Toast the Earth” was written, recorded and produced by The Austin Lounge Lizards, with design and animation by Powerhouse Animation.

“The more money they make, the more problems they create,” said the Exxpose Exxon Coalition’s campaign manager, Shawnee Hoover. “High prices at the gas pumps are bad enough, but the way ExxonMobil uses its mega-profits is unconscionable. Unlike other oil companies, ExxonMobil blocks progress on global warming, continues to push for drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and is still fighting a court-ordered settlement of $5 billion awarded to the Alaskan fisherman whose livelihoods were destroyed by the Valdez oil spill.”

The Internet cartoon is the latest project of the Exxpose Exxon Coalition*, a collaborative effort of 15 of the nation's largest environmental and public interest advocacy organizations. The campaign was launched last year to educate and activate Americans about ExxonMobil's efforts to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, prevent action on global warming, and encourage America's oil dependence. The coalition is asking citizens to help “Exxpose Exxon” by refusing to work for ExxonMobil, refusing to invest their hard-earned dollars in ExxonMobil, and refusing to buy ExxonMobil products.

“As the most profitable corporate citizen in history, ExxonMobil should finally start to behave responsibly,” concluded Hoover. “We call on citizens across the country to join the Exxpose Exxon campaign and tell Exxon that enough is enough.”

The Exxpose Exxon campaign is reaching out to the American public, calling on ExxonMobil to:

• Protect, instead of drill, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and drop out of Arctic Power.
  
• Support mandatory caps on global warming pollution and stop funding junk science to cloud the debate on global warming.
  
• Save consumers money at the pump and ease our oil dependence by investing in renewable energy and energy efficiency and supporting fuel efficiency.
  
• Pay all of the punitive damages awarded to fishermen and others harmed by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

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