-
EartherEnergy
Exxon’s Newest Activist Investor Is a ‘Space Cowboy’
Exxon announced Wednesday that a third new member has been appointed to the company’s board, following a week of vote counting after the company was caught by surprise by a shareholder insurrection last week led by activist investor Engine No. 1. The new board member, Alexander “Andy” Karsner, currently works as a “Space Cowboy” for … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherEnergy
You’ve Almost Certainly Never Heard of the Fossil Fuel Industry’s Biggest Methane Polluter
When it comes to the U.S. oil and gas industry’s greenhouse gas pollution, I tend to think of well-known and much-hated oil giants like Chevron and Exxon. But a new analysis released Tuesday shows that when it comes to the energy sector’s methane emissions, these massive firms aren’t the only major contributors. Small, relatively unknown … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
The First Constitutional Fight Over Oil Drilling in the Caribbean Ramps Up in Guyana
Two Guyanese climate activists are taking their nation’s government to court. Late last month, the plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging that a deal Guyanese officials struck with Exxon allowing the energy company to expand its oil production off the country’s coast violates their right and the right of future generations to a healthy environment. “These … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherEnergy
Russia Begins Development on Arctic Oil Project That Will Produce 25 Million Tons of Oil Per Year
Russia’s national oil company has begun construction on a massive project in the Arctic that officials say will produce 25 million tons of oil each year by 2024. The new operation is possible only because the Arctic is now traversable in places and at times it previously wasn’t, due to sea ice levels plummeting as … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherEnergy
What Happens to Exxon Now?
An activist investor that staged a coup at Exxon on Wednesday over the company’s mishandling of climate change and got two new board members elected has generated headlines around the world. But that coup is a little more complex than it seems at first glance. Wednesday’s win was, in part, a victory because of just how … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherClimate Change
We’re Speeding Toward Climate Hell, UN Warns
The world may surpass the key 1.5-degree-Celsius (2.7-degree-Fahrenheit) global warming threshold within the next five years, a major new outlook on climate trends shows. It’s the latest sign that we’re speeding toward the grim future that climate scientists have warned about for years unless we change course. The report released by the World Meteorological Organization … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
Exxon and Chevron Got Their Teeth Kicked In, But Shareholders Won’t Finish the Job
To say Tuesday was a bad day for Big Oil is an understatement. Chevron and Exxon, the two largest oil companies in the U.S., got rolled by their own investors. Shell also suffered a crippling defeat in a Dutch court in what may end up being the biggest win for the climate. But it’s the … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherEnergy
Shareholders Tell Exxon to Eat Shit
History was made at ExxonMobil’s annual shareholder meeting Wednesday when investors essentially staged a coup, voting to oust at least two members of the board due to the company’s poor performance on climate change. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! Those members will be replaced by climate activists backed by investor … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherClimate Change
Shell Just Got Wrecked in Dutch Court
A court in the Netherlands just handed down a landmark ruling, ordering Shell to slash its carbon pollution 45% by 2030. It’s hard to overstate how radical the ruling is and the far-ranging impacts it could have not just for the Dutch oil giant but oil companies around the world. Milieudefensie, the Dutch chapter of … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherConservation
Just 100 Companies Create 90% of Plastic Waste
Plastic producers have tried to make us think that individuals can solve pollution by improving our recycling and shopping habits. A new study makes it clear why that’s their tactic. Just 20 companies are responsible for more than half of the world’s trashed single-use plastic. The Plastic Waste Makers Index, published Tuesday by the Australian … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
Anonymous Donors Keep the Climate Denial Machine Chugging
There’s lots of talk from the GOP and fossil fuel companies these days about changing their tune and finally getting really serious about climate change. But new research shows that not much has changed in the world of organized climate denial: It’s still massively funded by mostly anonymous donors shielding major conservative actors, and money … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherEnergy
A Landmark Report Calls for Stopping New Fossil Fuel Development Next Year
While oil and gas companies ramp up the PR around their net zero commitments and try to convince us that fossil fuels can coexist with climate action, the science has long been clear that we need to quit dirty fuels pretty much immediately. One of the world’s biggest energy arbiters now says it agrees. The … Continued
By Molly Taft -
Earther
Children of Shell Employees Sure Seem to Be Embarrassed by Their Parents
At Shell’s annual general meeting on Tuesday, a company executive told a heartwarming story. Shortly before taking the role six years ago, the fossil fuel giant’s outgoing chairman, Charles Holliday, said he had a conversation with one of the company’s employees. “I asked him the very simple question: ‘In three weeks I’ll become chair of … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherEnergy
Oil CEOs Laid Off Workers and Gave Themselves Raises During the Pandemic
CEO pay at some of the country’s top oil and gas companies last year stayed more than 100 times above the median salary of workers at that company, a new analysis has found. In some cases, that gap increased—even as those companies laid off workers and took in federal aid money. The analysis, published Monday … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherEnergy
Exxon Blames You for Climate Change
Over the past few decades, oil companies have largely shifted away from climate denial. Now, you can see the energy giants openly acknowledge that climate change is happening, but their new messaging tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth. A new, first-of-its-kind study by Harvard researchers Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes explains why: … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
The Fight to Define What ‘Clean’ Energy Means
After four years of backsliding under former President Donald Trump, the U.S. is back to increasing its climate ambitions. But there’s a fight brewing over what exactly constitutes zero-carbon energy, showing that challenges decarbonization faces. President Joe Biden has proposed a clean electricity standard to reduce emissions, and various proposals and bills would create one … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
Shell Is Back, Baby :(
After more than a year of covid-19 lockdowns, there’s—dare I say—a feeling of hope in the air. Yes, things are far from over, but millions of people are getting vaccinated and it’s starting to seem like there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Well, sorry to ruin things slightly, but oil companies are … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
Earther
Big Oil’s New Carbon Tax Stance Is Just Its Latest Trick to Keep Polluting
The American Petroleum Institute, the largest lobbying arm for the oil and gas industry, said this week it supports a carbon tax. The response from Republicans, which the group rains money down on, has been less-than-welcoming. The GOP’s top climate-conscious star in the House called it “a cop-out approach to appease the radical left.” That … Continued
By Molly Taft -
EartherClimate Change
The Fossil Fuel Industry Would Be Screwed Without the U.S. Government Propping It Up
Conservatives have long argued against regulating fossil fuel production for the climate’s sake, claiming that doing so would interfere with the holy free market. A new study shows that’s a total fairy tale because the invisible hand isn’t responsible for dirty fuels’ market dominance—implicit government subsidies are. The findings show those subsidies total in the billions … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherClimate Change
Exxon and Chevron Reportedly Considered Becoming an Oil-Stained Voltron
Oil companies have had a rough go since the pandemic sent their main product into a tailspin. In an effort to maintain dominance in a rapidly changing world, Exxon and Chevron, the two biggest oil companies in the U.S., apparently weighed a blockbuster merger. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday night that Darren Woods … Continued
By Brian Kahn