[✔️] September 16, 2023- Global Warming News Digest | Exxon Knews, All Gore, Naomi Klein disinformation, Naomi Oreskes, Rollie Williams channel, Fight anxiety, 2007 try a carbon tax

Sat Sep 16 09:28:38 EDT 2023

/*September 16*//*, 2023*/

/[ 
//https://climateintegrity.org/news//https://www.exxonknews.org/p/breaking-new-docs-reveal-exxon-policy 
] /
*ExxonKnews: BREAKING: New docs reveal Exxon “policy” to put profits 
above the climate*
The Wall Street Journal uncovered damning new evidence of Exxon 
executives’ ploy to protect fossil fuel profits at all costs.
EXXONKNEWS
SEP 14, 2023
New Wall Street Journal reporting has unearthed additional proof of 
Exxon’s longstanding efforts to undermine climate science in order to 
continue profiting from oil and gas for as long as humanly possible.
The documents shed light on how Exxon’s board members and executives 
worked to promote scientific uncertainty — all while the oil giant 
promised to stop funding climate denial and turn over a new leaf. The 
revelations, published this morning, include internal documents from the 
era of former CEO Rex Tillerson, who publicly claimed to support climate 
policies like the Paris Agreement while he and other executives worked 
behind the scenes to undermine them.
According to the Journal, the documents — which were obtained during a 
previous investigation by the New York attorney general’s office and 
never reported on before — have already been requested by some attorneys 
representing states and municipalities suing Exxon for its climate 
deception.

Just a few of the most egregious highlights:
After James Hansen gave his congressional testimony on the reality of 
dangerous anthropogenic climate change in 1988, Frank Sprow, then 
Exxon’s head of corporate research, sent a memo to colleagues warning 
that “If a worldwide consensus emerges that action is needed to mitigate 
against Greenhouse gas effects, substantial negative impacts on Exxon 
could occur.”

“Any additional R&D efforts within Corporate Research on Greenhouse 
should have two primary purposes: 1. Protect the value of our resources 
(oil, gas, coal). 2. Preserve Exxon’s business options,” the memo said. 
In an interview, Sprow, now retired, told the Journal that the plan laid 
out in his memo became company policy, and Exxon’s corporate research 
division was instructed to pivot from internal climate research to 
funding “science to support our business.”

In 2012, following a major report from the Intergovernmental Panel on 
Climate Change (IPCC) outlining the worst-case scenario for climate 
change if carbon emissions continued to rise unchecked, then-CEO Rex 
Tillerson told a top Exxon researcher that company scientists should 
work to “to influence [the group], in addition to gathering info.”

Four years prior, while Exxon was publicly pledging to stop funding 
climate denial through think tanks and front groups, a manager of global 
regulatory affairs and research planning wrote in an email that Exxon 
should send a scientist to help the American Petroleum Institute (the 
world’s largest oil and gas trade association) write a paper undermining 
the certainty of climate science.

“I support [Exxon] co-authoring a paper on uncertainty in measuring 
GHGs,” wrote the manager, Gene Tunison.

In 2015, Tillerson also told Exxon’s board of directors that keeping 
global warming within 2 degrees was “something magical” (scientists have 
made clear that crossing the threshold of 1.5 degrees will bring about 
catastrophic climate impacts).

“Who is to say 2.5 is not good enough,” said Tillerson, adding that it 
would be “very expensive” to reach a 2 degree target, according to a 
summary of the meeting reviewed by the Journal. In August of this year, 
Exxon “predicted” the world would not meet that goal by 2050.

“I know how this information looks — when taken out of context, it seems 
bad,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods told the Journal. (Looks a lot worse in 
context, if you ask me.) “None of these old emails and notes matter 
though,” he continued.

Quite the opposite: These most recent revelations will no doubt play an 
important role in the growing number of climate liability lawsuits 
against Exxon now moving through the courts and toward trial. The new 
documents are just the latest in a growing mountain of evidence that 
Exxon deceived the public about its commitment to reducing emissions, 
muddied the science, and played a central role in delaying society’s 
response to the crisis. A year ago today, a massive trove of internal 
documents was released following an investigation by the House Oversight 
and Reform committee.
https://climateintegrity.org/news/exxonknews-breaking-new-docs-reveal-exxon-policy-to-put-profits-above-the-climate
https://climateintegrity.org/news
https://www.exxonknews.org/p/breaking-new-docs-reveal-exxon-policy

[ The greatest target speaks up ]
*Al Gore: "Mistake" to think big oil, gas are part of a climate solution*
Andrew Freedman
Al Gore has a mix of optimism and hope at the pace of decarbonization 
but seethes with frustration over the players he thinks are blocking 
faster progress.

*The big picture: *In a wide-ranging interview with Axios, the former 
Vice President and longtime environmental advocate discussed his 
investment firm's latest insights on the state of the world's transition 
to a low emissions economy.

-- He also detailed his increasingly confrontational stance toward the 
fossil fuel industry.

-- Gore said there are increasing signs of a tipping point for clean 
energy, but the necessary ingredients are not there yet.*Zoom in:* "The 
crisis is still getting worse faster than we're deploying the solutions. 
But the new momentum that is being built up is continuing to increase. 
And there's reason for believing that soon we will be able to gain on 
the crisis itself," he said optimistically.

-- But there were also flashes of the fiery, call-it-like-you-see it, 
clear-eyed side to Gore, which he displayed during his July TED talk. On 
that occasion, Gore sharply shifted his public stance toward the oil and 
gas industry.

-- He denounced as-yet unproven technologies at scale (like direct air 
capture) designed to address greenhouse gas emissions, potentially 
without rapid transition to cleaner energy sources.

*Between the lines:* The fossil fuel industry plans to continue to rely 
on fossil fuels as its core business, Gore argued. He blasted their talk 
of becoming more diverse energy players, or moving beyond their oil and 
gas divisions, as mere greenwashing and distraction.

- - Meanwhile, these companies continue to hold political sway, creating 
policy roadblocks, Gore said.

*Despite the increasingly clear effects* of climate change, "the fossil 
fuel industry still has a degree of control over the conservative 
movement, the Republican Party, their allies in various sectors. And I 
have to believe that that's going to, to begin to fade," Gore said.

-- "We're not far away from a genuine political tipping point."*
*

*The intrigue:* Gore hasn't shied away from criticizing the oil and gas 
industry. He criticized the selection of Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber as the 
president-designate of the upcoming climate summit in Dubai.
-- Al-Jaber heads the United Arab Emirates' national oil company, ADNOC, 
as well as the country's renewables efforts.
-- Gore sees al-Jaber's appointment as a sign that industry has captured 
the U.N. climate diplomacy process.
-- He didn't say whether he would attend COP28 but does support a push 
to change the voting rules so that no one country can have veto power 
over all others.
-- Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries have frustrated 
efforts during recent climate summits in Scotland and Egypt to agree on 
language calling for a fossil fuel phaseout.

*What they're saying:* The UAE COP28 leadership argues that inviting all 
parties to the talks, including oil and gas firms, is a move toward 
getting meaningful proposals from all players.
-- To that end, Gore suggested that fossil fuel companies commit to 
putting money toward a $75 billion fund, "which would represent less 
than one-half of 1% of their profits expected from now through 2030" to 
squelch the biggest methane emissions sources, such as abandoned wells.
-- Methane is a powerful planet-warming gas.*
*
*Yes, but: *Gore sees fossil fuel companies as locked into their current 
business models.
-- "It has probably never been realistic to expect the fossil fuel 
industry to play a genuinely meaningful role in helping us decarbonize 
society," Gore told Axios.
-- "No matter what they have said, no matter what thoughtful men and 
women in the industry know is ultimately the right thing to do, they are 
powerfully incentivized by their shareholders to continue" drilling for 
oil and gas, thereby adding to human-caused global warming, he said.
-- "Their culture, their skills, their network, all drive them in that 
same direction. The bankers that finance them are making handsome 
profits from it," he said.

*On Tuesday, Bernard Looney *abruptly resigned as CEO of BP. Asked for 
his (hypothetical) advice to Looney's successor, Gore responded: "Well, 
I would say...stop trying to portray your policies as climate friendly 
when they're clearly not."
--"I would certainly welcome a positive surprise from any of them. I 
would welcome a positive surprise from the president of COP28. I would 
welcome a surprise from OPEC and the petro states," he said. "I don't 
expect one."

*In a statement provided to Axios*, COP28's leadership said that 
"tackling the climate crisis requires unity and collective action. COP28 
is focusing on keeping 1.5C within reach and delivering our action 
agenda. We must fast track a just and orderly energy transition, fix 
climate finance, and focus on lives and livelihoods."
--"At the same time, we are committed to hosting the most inclusive COP 
to-date. We must all together, focus on bringing solutions to the table 
and deliver a successful COP28 for all," the statement added.
*The bottom line: *What animates Gore is a perceived disconnect between 
how fossil fuel companies portray themselves on climate, and what 
they're actually doing.
-- "They have had an incentive to portray themselves as the the prime 
source of the advice we need to solve this crisis. And they have 
apparently, parlayed that perception into a series of strategies to 
delay and block action," Gore said.
-- "It's not fair to ask them to do it if they're not capable of doing 
it. But it is fair to ask them to stop the blocking of everyone else's 
efforts to solve the crisis," Gore said. "If you can't help and if you 
won't help, get out of the way!"
https://www.axios.com/2023/09/14/al-gore-fossil-fuel-companies-climate-change

/[  See her program tomorrow, September 17 at 8:30 AM  ] /
*Naomi Klein: Tackling the “Doppelganger”, Disinformation & the Hidden 
Threat of Individualism
*The Laura Flanders Show
Premieres Sep 17, 2023
Stay informed and engaged! Don't miss out on our captivating weekly 
episodes that dive deep into the heart of our economy, culture, and 
politics. SUBSCRIBE HERE 
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg

Politics abhors a vacuum. Without credible explanations for the things 
that bewilder and exasperate us, people become susceptible to extremist 
conspiracy theories, hate and lies. So how does truth survive? In her 
brand new book, "Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World”, 
award-winning journalist Naomi Klein, (author of No Logo, The Shock 
Doctrine, et al), describes being confused with Naomi Wolf, author of 
The Beauty Myth, as Wolf morphed into a conspiracy-minded anti-vaxxer 
during the Covid pandemic. In an era of all important "personal brands", 
Klein became absorbed in the deep fake, double worlds surrounding and 
sometimes coming to represent her online. Right-wing conspiracies feed 
off Left-wing silences, she concludes. In this far-ranging interview 
from her home in British Columbia, Canada, Klein describes listening to 
hours and hours of conspiracist Steve Bannon's podcasts, and researching 
doppelgangers in history and literature, in order to uncover why we have 
shadow selves, and how disinformation and conspiracy theories gain 
power. Join Laura Flanders for this charming conversation as Naomi Klein 
challenges us to overcome divide-and-conquer individualism if we are 
ever to tackle our real-life, systemic crises. And Laura shares a few 
thoughts on learning from our elders about the pre-digital age.

🔹 Topics Covered:

    1️⃣ Disinformation & 'Mirror World Platforms': Why are alternative
    platforms becoming hotbeds for conspiracy theories? How can we
    address the spread of disinformation? What happens when
    conspiracy-minded figures are deplatformed from mainstream social media?
    2️⃣ Draining Conspiracy Culture: Why does conspiracy culture hold
    such allure, and how do we drain conspiracy culture of its power?
    3️⃣ The Pressure Cooker of Capitalism: Naomi Klein dives into
    capitalism and how it encourages us to "optimize" ourselves.
    4️⃣ Collective Movement Building: Why collective action, rather than
    individualistic solutions, is the way forward to solve systemic
    problems.
    5️⃣ Digital Identity Vs Real World: How is our perception of others
    distorted in the digital realm, and what can we do about it?
    6️⃣ The Power of Activism: Discussing real human experiences,
    activism and community building to transcend the digital divide.
    7️⃣ Learning from Our Elders: The importance of engaging with older
    generations to understand that different lifestyles and systems are
    not just possible, but have existed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-35G2ZxhYU

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lg

/[ Superb academic discussion of economics ]/
*Exposing the Big “Free Market” Myth with Author Naomi Oreskes*
Stanford Graduate School of Business

May 19, 2023  #Naomi #Harvard #Stanford
CASI discussion examines the consequences of businesses pushing “free 
market” ideology and the changes needed for markets to serve rather than 
impede democracy.

#Naomi Oreskes, #Anat Admati, #The Big Myth, #Stanford GSB, #Harvard 
University, #Louise White
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJV7_0BIbxo

/[ See all of Rollie Williams' sarcastic videos - aggressively wry humor]/
his video channel
*Rollie Williams and a ragtag team of climate communicators, *creatives 
and comedians are here to examine climate change in a way that doesn’t 
make you want to eat a cyanide pill. Get informed about the climate 
crisis before the weather does it for you.
Patreon if you're feeling crazy - https://www.patreon.com/ClimateTown
https://www.youtube.com/@ClimateTown

/[ it is rude that this journal cost $ to access - after one lets go of 
privacy to this publisher]/
*The Strengths and Weaknesses of Crowds to Address Global Problems*
Stephen B. Broomell https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6983-2591 
broomell at purdue.edu and Clintin P. Davis-StoberView all authors and 
affiliations
OnlineFirst
https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916231179152

    Abstract
    Global climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the spread of
    misinformation on social media are just a handful of highly
    consequential problems affecting society. We argue that the rough
    contours of many societal problems can be framed within a “wisdom of
    crowds” perspective. Such a framing allows researchers to recast
    complex problems within a simple conceptual framework and leverage
    known results on crowd wisdom. To this end, we present a simple
    “toy” model of the strengths and weaknesses of crowd wisdom that
    easily maps to many societal problems. Our model treats the
    judgments of individuals as random draws from a distribution
    intended to represent a heterogeneous population. We use a weighted
    mean of these individuals to represent the crowd’s collective
    judgment. Using this setup, we show that subgroups have the
    potential to produce substantively different judgments and we
    investigate their effect on a crowd’s ability to generate accurate
    judgments about societal problems. We argue that future work on
    societal problems can benefit from more sophisticated,
    domain-specific theory and models based on the wisdom of crowds.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17456916231179152

/[ Always pay attention ]/
*How to Fight Climate Anxiety*
Our Changing Climate
Oct 21, 2022  #anxiety #socialism #climatechange
Support OCC and get 20+: bonus videos by signing up for Nebula: 
https://go.nebula.tv/occ/
Watch the full companion video on the wellness industry here: 
https://nebula.tv/videos/occ-how-the-...

In this Our Changing Climate climate change video essay, I look at how 
you can fight climate anxiety. Specifically, I look at the root causes 
of eco-anxiety and climate anxiety, why climate anxiety might only 
become more prevalent, and then offer up some ideas on how to cope and 
move through eco and climate anxiet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B07DLgzOQEg

/[ The news archive - looking back at the idea of the carbon tax ]/
/*September 16, 2007 */
September 16, 2007: In a New York Times article, economist and GOP 
advisor Gregory Mankiw advocates a federal carbon tax as the best way to 
stem emissions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/business/16view.html?_r=1&

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