Public Comment

Oil giant Exxon Mobile is under a sweeping criminal investigation in New York over claims it deliberately misled the public on the risks of climate change. Revelations have now surfaced that early in the 1970s Exxon’s own scientists concluded that there was a direct causation between burning fossil fuels and climate change. Students at Columbia Journalism School (CJS) in collaboration with The Los Angeles Times broke the story.  

In what appears to be an attempt to silence or undermine its investigation, Exxon donated $220,000 to CJS. In a heavy-handed attempt to quash the impact of the investigation, Exxon, with additional funding from the Koch Brothers, accused the reporters of misleading the public. The highly respected journal ‘Nature’ countered by publishing a damning article accusing Exxon of endangering the public good by spreading disinformation to its investors and the general public, in a desperate attempt to protect its bottom line.  

In a rare moment of official concern over the brouhaha, Secretary of State, John Kerry, stated “that if these allegations are proved to be true, it was worse than the tobacco industry and a betrayal of everything it means to be a responsible corporation”. If the criminal investigation prevails, Exxon could be liable for millions in court fees and possibly billions in punitive damages arising from its callous and willful disregard for public health and safety.