Blog

How can it be that as the evidence about climate change gets stronger, politicians like Trump seem to get more ignorant?

"The arsonist is now in charge of the fire department, and he seems happy to let the climate crisis burn out of control”.

Of course Shell knew about climate change too. As Ken Saro-Wiwa once noted, instead of acting responsibly, Shell chose to inflict "genocide" against the people of the Niger Delta, instead. It has continued that path ever since, by continuing to burn oil and gas. And the rising waters of the Niger Delta are part of that crime.

Later today, Donald Trump will make his first address to Congress, where he is expected to outline an “historic increase in defence spending” at the expense of foreign aid and environmental protection programmes.

The news from over the weekend that President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Rex Tillerson, the chairman and chief executive of Exxon, the world’s largest private oil company as Secretary of State, is a clear sign that we face an unprecedented battle against the environmental movement in the years to come.

Later today in Stockholm, a conference organised by the business group, the International Chamber of Commerce, examines “Bridging the Climate Change Policy Gap.”

As the UN COP22 climate talks enter the second week in Marrakesh, 400 civil society organisations, from over 60 countries, are calling on world leaders to put an immediate halt to new fossil fuel development and pursue a rapid transition to renewable energy.

First the good news. After decades of denial, delay and obfuscation by the fossil fuel industry, an historic agreement on climate change, which was first signed in Paris last year, enters into force today.

The history of Big Oil’s climate denial campaign is littered with slightly progressive sounding front groups which have tried to give the impression that the industry cares about climate change.

The world’s largest listed oil company, Exxon, announced on Friday it was going to have to cut its reported proved reserves by just under a fifth. It is the biggest reserve revision in the history of the oil industry.