October, 27 2021, 12:09pm EDT
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Five Questions Big Oil CEOs Must Answer Tomorrow
In anticipation of tomorrow's House Oversight Committee hearing on Big Oil's ongoing campaign to spread disinformation and manipulate Americans against widely-popular, commonsense climate soluti
WASHINGTON
In anticipation of tomorrow's House Oversight Committee hearing on Big Oil's ongoing campaign to spread disinformation and manipulate Americans against widely-popular, commonsense climate solutions, government watchdog Accountable.US called on the CEOs who will testify to finally be honest with lawmakers and the American people.
"For too long, oil companies have skirted responsibility for their harmful campaign of disinformation aimed at swaying Americans against commonsense policies to protect public lands and fight the climate crisis," said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. "It shouldn't have taken several dodged hearings and a subpoena threat for these executives to come before Congress. With the American people watching, will these executives own up to their misinformation, or keep trying to hide behind lies and spin?"
Thursday's hearing is one part of the committee's larger investigation into leading oil and gas companies' efforts to misinform the American public. Accountable.US called on the CEOs who will testify to answer the following questions about their companies' demonstrated history of hypocrisy:
1. The oil and gas industry has repeatedly claimed that it didn't need any bailouts during the pandemic. But in reality, its lobbying groups demanded tax breaks for the industry in the CARES Act, and reports show that oil and gas companies got at least $3.1 billion in pandemic bailout money. Why do you continue to argue that your industry did not receive federal pandemic support when the facts clearly prove otherwise?
In March 2020, major oil industry lobbying group the American Petroleum Institute (API) claimed the oil industry didn't need any pandemic bailouts, with the group's CEO, Mike Sommers, even going as far as to write an op-ed in the Washington Examiner to underscore the point. As recently as last month, Sommers was still hammering this line, stating during a podcast appearance that "even in the worst parts of that pandemic, you didn't see our industry, you know, asking for bailouts. In fact, we were fighting bailouts."
But this is far from the truth: API lobbied for CARES Act tax breaks in the early days of the pandemic, and government watchdog Accountable.US found that API's member companies got $3.1 billion in value from various pandemic aid programs.
2. Oil and gas company shareholders have repeatedly sought to vote on climate change initiatives within the company and have been met with opposition from companies. How can you claim to care about fighting climate change while opposing efforts to do so from your own shareholders?
Even as major oil and gas companies have attempted to greenwash their reputations to the public, behind the scenes, these companies are working to fight even their own shareholders on supporting climate initiatives and making substantive changes to their operations.
Exxon, BP, Chevron, and Shell all opposed shareholder initiatives to combat climate change, including efforts to bring their companies' policies in line with goals and standards set by the Paris Climate Agreement. Exxon went so far as to get the SEC to bar the company's shareholders from voting on a proposal that would have required it to disclose its emission reduction goals.
3. Oil and gas companies have a decades-long history of denying climate science and refuting the link between air pollution and its detrimental effects on people's health -- especially those in majority-Black and Native communities who are disproportionately affected by extractive activities. Do you acknowledge the increased health risk posed by fossil fuel pollution?
A scientist commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute testified before Congress in 1997 calling the link between air pollution and mortality "weak." Around the same time, Exxon published a study claiming there was "no substantive basis" for believing small particle pollution was leading to more deaths despite internal memos noting the dangers of fossil fuel pollution in 1967.
Importantly, this pollution, that continues to this day, disproportionately harms communities of color, especially Black and Native communities. A VICE report earlier this year revealed that over 70% of Chevron and Exxon's air pollution is dumped on people of color. Such exposure to pollutants can lead to adverse and life-threatening health consequences including increased risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, asthma, and more.
4. With more and more research showing that oil, gas, and coal development must be curbed in order to reach emissions goals essential to avoiding a climate catastrophe, how do you square your claims to care about the environment with your plans to increase fossil fuel production?
The International Energy Alliance released a report this year stating there must be no new oil, gas, or coal development to achieve net-zero goals by 2050. The UN released a report calling for fossil fuel production to rapidly fall if we want to avoid "severe climate disruption."
But regardless of the science and evidence, from 2019 to 2030, ExxonMobil is planning the largest increases in oil and gas production, increasing by 52% and 27% respectively -- even as it attempts to publicly paint itself as a climate steward.
5. Big Oil companies have repeatedly fought for "voluntary" emissions reduction strategies despite ample evidence proving that they aren't nearly as effective in curbing emissions as government mandates. Looking at the industry's record, how can you expect the American people to allow oil and gas companies to continue using voluntary climate mitigation methods when they have consistently proven ineffective?
The American Petroleum Institute proudly touts the effectiveness of voluntary emissions reduction strategies and plans in lieu of government action in order to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Yet companies on API's board have been responsible for nearly $38 billion in environmental penalties -- API has rewarded companies days after they have caused environmental disasters.
Additionally, voluntary pledges to reduce flaring have proven ineffective as companies, including BP and Exxon, continued to flare regularly after pledging to stop. Flaring increased annually from 2017 to 2019.
Accountable.US is a nonpartisan watchdog that exposes corruption in public life and holds government officials and corporate special interests accountable by bringing their influence and misconduct to light. In doing so, we make way for policies that advance the interests of all Americans, not just the rich and powerful.
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"I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world's wealthiest countries," U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said. "Countries must phaseout fossil fuels—fast and fairly."
Jul 26, 2024
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday criticized the world's wealthiest countries for expanding fossil fuel production, one day after an analysis in The Guardian showed that five Western countries are leading a global surge in oil and gas development.
Guterres' remarks came as part of a "call to action" on extreme heat at a press conference in New York, after record-setting world temperatures earlier in the week and a series of deadly heatwaves across the world this year.
Guterres, who has long been outspoken on the need for climate action, called extreme heat one of the "symptoms" of a "disease" that is the "addiction" to fossil fuels.
"I must call out the flood of fossil fuel expansion we are seeing in some of the world's wealthiest countries," he said nine minutes and 53 seconds into his remarks. "In signing such a surge of new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future. The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential. Countries must phaseout fossil fuels—fast and fairly."
The U.N. chief's comments may have been based on Wednesday's findings that five Western countries—the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Norway—have significantly scaled up oil and gas licensing this year, despite their international climate commitments. The findings came from an analysis of industry data conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and published in The Guardian.
The analysis found that the five countries together have licensed or plan to license projects in 2024 that will emit 11.9 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifetimes. The news renewed discussions about whether countries such as the U.S., though they claim to be climate leaders, should be considered "petrostates"—a contemptuous term formerly reserved for countries such as Saudi Arabia and Russia.
Guterres has long been outspoken on the issue of fossil fuels. At the COP28 U.N. climate change summit in Dubai last year, he spoke forcefully about the need for phasing them out and meeting the 1.5°C target set in the Paris agreement.
"The 1.5°C limit is only possible if we ultimately stop burning all fossil fuels," he said. "Not reduce. Not abate. Phase out—with a clear timeframe aligned with 1.5°C."
The loophole-ridden deal that emerged from Dubai didn't match Guterres' ambitions, but did call for "transitioning away from fossil fuels."
His call to action on Thursday included a four-part plan for dealing with extreme heat: caring for the most vulnerable, protecting workers, boosting resilience, and limiting further temperature rise by phasing out fossil fuels and scaling up renewables.
Leaders across the board must wake up and step up their #ClimateAction.
That means governments – especially #G20 countries – as well as the private sector, cities and regions.
They must #ActNow as though our future depends on it – because it does.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) July 26, 2024
Guterres warned that 70% of the global workforce—over 2.4 billion people—is at substantial risk of experiencing extreme heat, and the situation is especially dire for workers in Africa and the Middle East. He called for strong laws to protect workers, which some countries are enacting. The Biden administration recently moved to set the first national workplace heat safety protections in the U.S.
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Now the United Kingdom's government must "stop selling Israel weapons," said one observer.
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Under Conservative leadership, the U.K. joined the U.S., Germany, and other Israel allies in condemning the ICC prosecutor's application for arrest warrants against the top Israeli officials for alleged war crimes in Gaza, including "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare" and "extermination."
The ICC prosecutor also applied for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders over atrocities committed in Israel on October 7.
As The Financial Timesreported, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer "had until Friday to decide whether to make legal arguments to support questions raised by the previous Conservative government over the ICC's jurisdiction to issue warrants against Netanyahu and his defense minister."
A spokesperson for the Labour government said it would "not be pursuing this in line with our long-standing position" that "it's a matter for the courts to decide."
"Well done to the millions of people across the country who have made it clear that they refuse to be complicit in war crimes."
Humanitarians applauded the government's decision. Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at Medical Aid for Palestinians, called Tory opposition to the proposed arrest warrants "a disgraceful attempt to delay justice."
"I hope the new government will now throw its full support behind the court and uphold any warrants issued," Talbot added.
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, also welcomed the move and urged the government to "stop selling Israel weapons." Between October 7 and May 31, the U.K. government issued more than 100 arms export licenses to Israel, according to official figures reported by The Guardian.
Reutersreported earlier this week that in documents released Tuesday, "judges granted permission to 18 states including the U.S., Germany, and South Africa to file written submissions to the ICC about its proposed arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leaders.
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Former Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who won reelection to his Islington North seat as an Independent following his expulsion from the Labour Party, called the Starmer government's decision to ditch the Tories' opposition to the ICC arrest warrant requests "an important first step in respecting the universal application of international law."
"Well done to the millions of people across the country who have made it clear that they refuse to be complicit in war crimes," Corbyn added. "We will continue to demand an end to the massacre in Gaza, an end to all arms sales to Israel, and an end to the occupation of Palestine."
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Jul 26, 2024
As President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Thursday, dozens of American healthcare workers who recently volunteered in the Gaza Strip urged the U.S. leaders to do everything in their power to end Israel's assault on the enclave, citing the horrors they witnessed firsthand.
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"We wish you could hear the cries and screams our consciences will not let us forget," the letter reads. "We cannot believe that anyone would continue arming the country that is deliberately killing these children after seeing what we have seen."
The healthcare workers called on the Biden administration to "withhold military, economic, and diplomatic support from the state of Israel and to participate in an international arms embargo of both Israel and all Palestinian armed groups until a permanent cease-fire is established, and until good-faith negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians lead to a permanent resolution of the conflict."
"We are not politicians. We do not claim to have all the answers," they continued. "We are simply physicians and nurses who cannot remain silent about what we saw in Gaza. Every day that we continue supplying weapons and munitions to Israel is another day that women are shredded by our bombs and children are murdered with our bullets. President Biden and Vice President Harris, we urge you: End this madness now!"
This is an open letter addressed to @POTUS, @VP , and @FLOTUS signed by 45 American physicians and nurses, about what we saw while working in Gaza. Please feel free to distribute. A PDF can be downloaded from the link and/or QR code on page 1. pic.twitter.com/LHVvmeAFad
— Feroze Sidhwa (@FerozeSidhwa) July 25, 2024
The letter was released as Netanyahu, fresh off his widely condemned address to the U.S. Congress, met separately on Thursday with Biden and Harris, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.
In remarks following her meeting with Netanyahu, Harris said that "what has happened in Gaza over the past nine months is devastating," pointing to "the images of dead children and desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety, sometimes displaced for the second, third, or fourth time."
"We cannot look away in the face of these tragedies," the vice president added. "We cannot allow ourselves to become numb to the suffering. And I will not be silent."
Harris said she told Netanyahu directly to "get this deal done"—referring to a cease-fire agreement with Hamas—but, as expected, she did not break with the administration on supplying arms to the Israeli military.
While there has been no obvious policy change from the administration now that Harris has taken over for Biden at the top of the Democratic Party's presidential ticket, Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft argued that the vice president "clearly broke with Biden on Israel in terms of rhetoric and tone."
Parsi also contended that there was "a substance shift."
"Biden has disingenuously claimed that Hamas blocked a cease-fire deal," Parsi wrote on social media. "By saying that she urged Netanyahu 'to clinch the deal,' Kamala pointed to the real obstacle."
BREAKING: VP Harris speaks after meeting with Israeli PM Netanyahu
Harris calling for an immediate cease-fire deal to free the hostages.
The VP saying she “will not be silent" about the suffering in Gaza, the "devastating" loss of life and the "dire" humanitarian crisis. pic.twitter.com/Fe5QPoOuFh
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) July 25, 2024
In their letter to Harris and Biden, the healthcare workers wrote that Israel "has directly targeted and deliberately devastated Gaza's entire healthcare system" and "targeted our colleagues in Gaza for death, disappearance, and torture." According to figures from the United Nations Human Rights Office, Israeli forces have killed one in every 40 healthcare workers in the Palestinian territory since October as diseases spread and the number of Gazans killed or wounded continues to grow by the hour.
The healthcare workers expressed the view that—based on available evidence and their experiences—"the death toll from this conflictis many times higher than what is reported by the Gaza Ministry of Health," which currently stands at over 39,100.
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