Progressive Democrat Issue 34: ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

No oil company is that great. They all are based on an unsustainable, polluting commodity. There is no way around that. But some, like Chevron, genuinely try to mitigate their damage to the environment and to work as closely as possible with the cultures that they work with (such as New Guinea) to extract oil. I learned from reading Jared Diamond’s book, Collapse, just how well Chevron runs its oil drilling these days—in effect the region in New Guinea where they extract oil is one of the best managed wildlife refuges in the entire world. But Chevron is something of an exception. Way at the other end of the spectrum there is Exxon/Mobil, the company of Valdez shame. But the Valdez accident is only the tip of the iceberg. So today many environmental and scientific organizations have gotten together to begin a protest and boycott of Exxon/Mobil. I ask all to join in on this endeavor.

Here are excerpts from the Union of Concerned Scientists Action Alert:

For years, one company has led the charge to deny the existence of global warming and fund $15 million in junk science to cloud the policy debate. One company has refused to invest serious funds in clean energy technologies, despite raking in record profits at the expense of the American consumer. One company has persisted in pushing to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling, when all other companies have pulled out of the pro-drilling coalition…

Exposing and changing ExxonMobil’s irresponsible and deceptive behavior is the mission of “Exxpose Exxon,” a new campaign sponsored by a coalition of America’s largest public interest and environmental groups. The campaign launched today with over 50 events outside ExxonMobil service stations around the country as well as online at www.ExxposeExxon.com.

And here is a partial litany of complaints regarding Exxon/Mobil:

* ExxonMobil's active support of drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge;

* ExxonMobil's efforts to block meaningful action to cut global warming pollution and its funding of junk science to hide the real facts about global warming;

* ExxonMobil's decision to forgo investment in clean energy solutions--despite your record profits at a time of rising gasoline prices;

* ExxonMobil's failure to pay all of the punitive damages awarded to fishermen and others injured by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill.

So please, start boycotting Exxon/Mobil. Tell your like-minded friends to boycott Exxon/Mobil. And send a clear message to Exxon/Mobil by writing them about your concerns. And for an even bigger impact, call or write Exxon and Mobil at the following numbers/address:

Exxon or call: 1 800 243 9966
Mobil or call: 1 800 662 4592
Or write at:
Exxon Mobil Corporation
Attn: Customer Relations
PO Box 1049
Buffalo, NY 14240-1049

Never underestimate the power of a well-organized, patient, persistent boycott. Again, we are targeting Exxon/Mobil because they embody the worst that oil companies represent without the mitigating factors that makes a company like Chevron more palatable.