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> the big oil companies and the massive political machine that supports them drops the whole "global warming isn't real" line They dropped that a few years ago

> the big oil companies and the massive political machine that supports them drops the whole "global warming isn't real" line They dropped that a few years ago https://www.shell.co.uk/sustainability/environment/climate-change-at-shell.html https://www.shell.co.uk/sustainability/environment/climate-c... http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/current-issues/climate-policy/climate-perspectives/our-position http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/current-issues/climate-po... https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability/climate-change.html https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/sustainability/climat... Although... https://www.citgo.com/NewsViews/CITGOViews/GlobalWarming.jsp https://www.citgo.com/NewsViews/CITGOViews/GlobalWarming.jsp

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago
From the Shell link: Gas can help with all three of the UK’s energy objectives – providing affordable, secure and low carbon energy. Gas is none of those things. It’s not cheap, it’s going to run out, and it isn’t low carbon.
- pdabbadabba 8y ago
  All true. But note that GP didn't say that they've stopped spinning started speaking the complete truth about fossil fuels--only that they have stopped denying its link to global warming.
- r00fus 8y ago
  You can replace the reason any corporation does things with $profit and it will almost always make sense.
- linkregister 8y ago
  This is somewhat true, though obviously misleading. Since natural gas's energy efficiency is much higher than that of coal or oil, the amount of carbon dioxide released is the same for a greater amount of energy. Furthermore, it requires less carbon input to retrieve the natural gas.
  - afarrell 8y ago
    Also, in order to use solar or especially wind, you need a form of electricity generation which can ramp up quickly when the wind dies. Until we get large-scale battery storage, that means natural gas turbines.
- ptaipale 8y ago
  Some gas is renewable, though, so definitely low carbon. And over here it's even fairly cheap (for vehicles, considerably cheaper than gasoline).
- henryaj 8y ago
  It is cheap - see the huge fall in gas prices since the introduction of fracking. The US has gone from being a net importer of natural gas to an exporter, such is the increase in supply. "Secure" doesn't mean "is never going to run out", but rather that we don't have to rely on other countries from it. The UK can meet some of its natural gas needs with local fracking, reducing the need to import gas. (And other commenters have addressed the low carbon thing)
forapurpose 8y ago
I don't know about big oil, but the machine continues. The WSJ published this editorial in the last week: Climate Change Has Run Its Course https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-has-run-its-course-1528152876 https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-has-run-its-cour...
- cousin_it 8y ago
  And they charge you money to read it, how nice of them! I hope they spend it on solar panels.
  - thinkling 8y ago
    If you google for the title and click through, the WSJ will let you read the article. But frankly, it's not worth it. TLDR: Climate change is past its peak as a cause because it's being co-mingled with other social justice concerns and because of concern fatigue.
dnautics 8y ago
Citgo is de facto an arm of the Venezuelan government, so of course it stands in favor of carbon credit schemes whose net effect is funneling money yo Venezuela.
Alex3917 8y ago
> They dropped that a few years ago They say they dropped it, or they stopped funding conservative think tanks and pols?

TheSpiceIsLife 8y ago

From the Shell link: Gas can help with all three of the UK’s energy objectives – providing affordable, secure and low carbon energy. Gas is none of those things. It’s not cheap, it’s going to run out, and it isn’t low carbon.

pdabbadabba 8y ago
All true. But note that GP didn't say that they've stopped spinning started speaking the complete truth about fossil fuels--only that they have stopped denying its link to global warming.
r00fus 8y ago
You can replace the reason any corporation does things with $profit and it will almost always make sense.
linkregister 8y ago
This is somewhat true, though obviously misleading. Since natural gas's energy efficiency is much higher than that of coal or oil, the amount of carbon dioxide released is the same for a greater amount of energy. Furthermore, it requires less carbon input to retrieve the natural gas.
- afarrell 8y ago
  Also, in order to use solar or especially wind, you need a form of electricity generation which can ramp up quickly when the wind dies. Until we get large-scale battery storage, that means natural gas turbines.
ptaipale 8y ago
Some gas is renewable, though, so definitely low carbon. And over here it's even fairly cheap (for vehicles, considerably cheaper than gasoline).
henryaj 8y ago
It is cheap - see the huge fall in gas prices since the introduction of fracking. The US has gone from being a net importer of natural gas to an exporter, such is the increase in supply. "Secure" doesn't mean "is never going to run out", but rather that we don't have to rely on other countries from it. The UK can meet some of its natural gas needs with local fracking, reducing the need to import gas. (And other commenters have addressed the low carbon thing)

forapurpose 8y ago

I don't know about big oil, but the machine continues. The WSJ published this editorial in the last week: Climate Change Has Run Its Course https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-has-run-its-course-1528152876 https://www.wsj.com/articles/climate-change-has-run-its-cour...

cousin_it 8y ago
And they charge you money to read it, how nice of them! I hope they spend it on solar panels.
- thinkling 8y ago
  If you google for the title and click through, the WSJ will let you read the article. But frankly, it's not worth it. TLDR: Climate change is past its peak as a cause because it's being co-mingled with other social justice concerns and because of concern fatigue.

dnautics 8y ago

Citgo is de facto an arm of the Venezuelan government, so of course it stands in favor of carbon credit schemes whose net effect is funneling money yo Venezuela.

Alex3917 8y ago

> They dropped that a few years ago They say they dropped it, or they stopped funding conservative think tanks and pols?