[exxonmobil] openly faithful to its traditions

The great man himself

So the Union of Concerned Scientists has asserted that ExxonMobil gave $16 million to 43 ideological groups between 1998 and 2005, in a co-ordinated effort to mislead the public by discrediting the science behind global warming. Last September, The Royal Society wrote to the oil company, asking it to halt support for groups that 'misrepresented the science of climate change.'

ExxonMobil listed $6.8 million in 2005 for 'public information and policy research' distributed to more than 140 think-tanks, universities, foundations, associations and other groups. Some of those have publicly disputed the link between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. Dr. James McCarthy, a professor at Harvard University, said the company has sought to 'create the illusion of a vigorous debate' about global warming.

The thing which puzzles me is what’s the surprise? Which group of companies would not outlay money to support conclusions favourable to their industry? And since when has Exxon been expected to be a paragon of virtue anyway? From the days of Standard Oil and the Sherman anti-Trust Acts, the game plan has been hardball.

So what? If anything, the company was being honest when it was renamed from Esso and commissioned Raymond Loewy to redesign the logo to highlight the double-cross, the old Templar logo. And their founder, John D. Rockefeller, made the company’s mode of operation abundantly clear when he stated:

"The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets."

And when Exxon Mobil says:

"It is our policy to conduct our business in a manner that is compatible with the balanced environmental and economic needs of the communities in which we operate. We are committed to continuous efforts to improve environmental performance throughout our operations worldwide."

… it is no lie. They really do mean what they say. That’s the essential nature of dualism, which is also true to the tradition of their founder. It may turn the meaning of “integrity” on its head but Oxford’s definition of this word is: wholeness, entirety, soundness, before all other definitions.

Exxon is deeply committed to the dualistic ‘integrity’ of its organization, in these terms.