4 ms·

‘What we now know they lied’: how big oil companies betrayed us all

54 points by webmaven 5y ago

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
mc4ndr3 5y ago
Why would anyone trust a word that comes out of their mouth??? Lies are directly transferrable into bank deposits.
gota 5y ago
I have a theory - the anti-academia and anti-science movements propped up by social media and youtube docs (you know the pages and channels I'm talkkng about) were supported financially, if not actively orchestrated by, big oil companies I mean - flat earthers, anti-vaccine, ancient aliens, etc. The goal being to discredit public belif in "specialists" as a whole - hopong to discredit climate scientists which are/were the first to voice concerns about climate change I base this on absolutely nothing concrete, of course. I say this mostly in jest, but the fact its even conceivable is representative of the state of affairs...
- juanani 5y ago
- ziml77 5y ago
  The creation of conspiracy theorists is itself a conspiracy? An interesting thought if nothing else. After seeing Veritasium's latest video about leaded gasoline and how the creator and others behind it knowingly lied to people about its safety, I wouldn't certainly can't put something like this past the oil companies. The global demand for oil certainly gives them a lot of money and influence. (To be very clear: I'm not saying that I think this is actually what's happening)
- webmaven 5y ago
  The constituencies served by these folks is a much bigger tent than that. Pesticides, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, big agriculture, various cultural and political movements, and many other industries and groups often have a vested interest in spiking the efforts of the Reality Based Community. It isn't just Big Oil (though they're certainly the biggest monolithic player).
AtlasBarfed 5y ago
What if everyone knew the truth and didn't care because it want their problem? I remember the Bush administration dismissing climate change because Americans didn't want to change their lifestyle. I remember America falling in love with the SUV in 1995 at the precise moment we should have gone the other way in size. I remember mid nineties pbs specials on global warming, the first ipcc reports that actually were underestimates. Let me emphasize: the science was mainstream enough that there were UN panels of scientists making models and prognosis TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO. What will be a surprise I'd be f anyone does go after the oil execs.
- CyanBird 5y ago
  You might enjoy this piece https://nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2020/03/shell-climate-change.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2020/03/shell-climate-ch... It is about the steps that shell is taking, or at least reviewing in order to fight climate change, what is interesting about it, is that the company has been rather active on these points/actions and since that piece was published these actions have become quite visible and measurable vs other not as active oil/energy companies /shell competitors
  - NumberWangMan 5y ago
    I can't see what you're seeing in the article. It seems like Shell is pretty much only interested in changing their business as much as they're forced to.
  - webmaven 5y ago
    I'm not sure what point you're trying to make by highlighting one company's greenwashing efforts. I mean, causing the problems in the first place and then selling solutions to the world (and spending plenty of money to visibly promote their 'good works') isn't all that noble. Are you familiar with the phrase "Disaster Capitalism"?
jeoxnrnendn 5y ago
fortunately every other major corporation is completely trustworthy
Proven 5y ago
[dead]
aaomidi 5y ago
When your entire economic system is built around maximizing profit...no shit? Nearly every industry I walk into I feel like I'm about to be braced with a million lies. Go to the optometrist? Oh they're selling me on this new "imaging" thing to catch issues before they happen. Ah it's also an extra paid thing. Wonderful. Oh lasik is safe? Very little side effects yeah? Are you sure you're not being paid a shit ton of money for each eye you operate on? You walk into a car dealership and they're selling you an image of happiness and things to get "just in case". You walk into a fucking insurance company and they're about to sell you on insurance for your insurance. I'm so annoyed that it's so hard to find genuinely helpful experts in their field without worrying that they're trying to sell you something. Maybe this is why some people really like universities and staying at really large companies. At least your colleagues aren't selling you shit and there's a lot of smart people there.

54 points by webmaven 5y ago

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

mc4ndr3 5y ago

Why would anyone trust a word that comes out of their mouth??? Lies are directly transferrable into bank deposits.

gota 5y ago

I have a theory - the anti-academia and anti-science movements propped up by social media and youtube docs (you know the pages and channels I'm talkkng about) were supported financially, if not actively orchestrated by, big oil companies I mean - flat earthers, anti-vaccine, ancient aliens, etc. The goal being to discredit public belif in "specialists" as a whole - hopong to discredit climate scientists which are/were the first to voice concerns about climate change I base this on absolutely nothing concrete, of course. I say this mostly in jest, but the fact its even conceivable is representative of the state of affairs...

juanani 5y ago
ziml77 5y ago
The creation of conspiracy theorists is itself a conspiracy? An interesting thought if nothing else. After seeing Veritasium's latest video about leaded gasoline and how the creator and others behind it knowingly lied to people about its safety, I wouldn't certainly can't put something like this past the oil companies. The global demand for oil certainly gives them a lot of money and influence. (To be very clear: I'm not saying that I think this is actually what's happening)
webmaven 5y ago
The constituencies served by these folks is a much bigger tent than that. Pesticides, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, big agriculture, various cultural and political movements, and many other industries and groups often have a vested interest in spiking the efforts of the Reality Based Community. It isn't just Big Oil (though they're certainly the biggest monolithic player).

AtlasBarfed 5y ago

What if everyone knew the truth and didn't care because it want their problem? I remember the Bush administration dismissing climate change because Americans didn't want to change their lifestyle. I remember America falling in love with the SUV in 1995 at the precise moment we should have gone the other way in size. I remember mid nineties pbs specials on global warming, the first ipcc reports that actually were underestimates. Let me emphasize: the science was mainstream enough that there were UN panels of scientists making models and prognosis TWENTY FIVE YEARS AGO. What will be a surprise I'd be f anyone does go after the oil execs.

CyanBird 5y ago
You might enjoy this piece https://nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2020/03/shell-climate-change.html https://nymag.com/intelligencer/amp/2020/03/shell-climate-ch... It is about the steps that shell is taking, or at least reviewing in order to fight climate change, what is interesting about it, is that the company has been rather active on these points/actions and since that piece was published these actions have become quite visible and measurable vs other not as active oil/energy companies /shell competitors
- NumberWangMan 5y ago
  I can't see what you're seeing in the article. It seems like Shell is pretty much only interested in changing their business as much as they're forced to.
- webmaven 5y ago
  I'm not sure what point you're trying to make by highlighting one company's greenwashing efforts. I mean, causing the problems in the first place and then selling solutions to the world (and spending plenty of money to visibly promote their 'good works') isn't all that noble. Are you familiar with the phrase "Disaster Capitalism"?

jeoxnrnendn 5y ago

fortunately every other major corporation is completely trustworthy

Proven 5y ago

[dead]

aaomidi 5y ago

When your entire economic system is built around maximizing profit...no shit? Nearly every industry I walk into I feel like I'm about to be braced with a million lies. Go to the optometrist? Oh they're selling me on this new "imaging" thing to catch issues before they happen. Ah it's also an extra paid thing. Wonderful. Oh lasik is safe? Very little side effects yeah? Are you sure you're not being paid a shit ton of money for each eye you operate on? You walk into a car dealership and they're selling you an image of happiness and things to get "just in case". You walk into a fucking insurance company and they're about to sell you on insurance for your insurance. I'm so annoyed that it's so hard to find genuinely helpful experts in their field without worrying that they're trying to sell you something. Maybe this is why some people really like universities and staying at really large companies. At least your colleagues aren't selling you shit and there's a lot of smart people there.