Experts warn that the excessive use of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal, and natural gas, is a major threat to the health, and even survival, of millions of species, including our own. At a time when climate change is wreaking havoc worldwide and we have the technology to aggressively pursue clean energy, the oil and gas industry are working to expand their drilling, political power, and global markets. Just follow the money…
According to PriceOfOil.org, over $350 million was spent towards the 113th Congress (2013-2014) and over $41.8 billion was given to fossil fuels in subsidies for exploration and federal production. Those numbers were calculated to be a 11,900% return on every dollar Big Oil spent.
Meanwhile, according to OpenSecrets.org, in 2017-2018, the Koch brothers alone contributed over $10.5 million to republican political campaigns. Additionally, the non-profit listed that 727 lobbyists were reported for the gas and oil industry in 2018.
With crude oil being one of the top traded commodities in the world, the oil and gas industry needs to be held to the highest standards of accountability and integrity, but that’s not what’s happening at all.
How Bad are the Oil Spills?
Record-breaking oil spills, like BP’s Deepwater Horizon in 2010, make the headlines, but how bad are the rest of them? It appears that no one in the U.S. government knows exactly how many leaks and spills happen every day in our country. However, based on a CBS News report, there were at least eighteen a day in 2010, tripling the size of the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill.[1] Worldwide thousands more contaminate habitats and communities every year. Not only can these spills devastate local economies, traditions, and wildlife, indigenous communities have suffered from the repeated disregard that various oil companies have demonstrated towards sacred and ancestral lands and water. From the Sioux at Standing Rock in North Dakota to Norway’s indigenous Sami people or from the Amazon tribes to the aboriginals of Australia, indigenous people deserve greater respect.
Meanwhile, executives often put on a show, when needed, to assure the public that they’re working hard to clean up a massive oil spill or leak. The former president of Shell, John Hofmeister, illustrated the risk vs. reward value system though by once stating, “I don’t want to sound insensitive. But you have an industry that knows how much could happen. And relative to what could happen, from their perspective, very little does happen.”[2] Try telling that to all the victims and cleanup crews of oil spills.
The Dirty Deeds of Big Oil
As a whole, the oil and gas industry has a long list of dirty deeds that can lead to dire consequences, some of which are common knowledge, some of which have gained public attention more recently.
The oil and gas industry is tied to:
- Increased CO2 levels that are altering the climate at an unprecedented rate
- Oil spills
- Pipeline bursts
- Fatal oil rig explosions and accidents
- Habitat destruction and migratory pathway disruption
- Fossil fuel exhaust that’s known to increase the risks of asthma, birth defects, and cancer rates
- Plastic pollution that often fills the bellies of wildlife (like whales, seabirds, and turtles) which can lead to health complications and even starvation and death
- Petro-chemicals and plastics that can interfere with human health development and human health
The petroleum industry even has a reputation for perpetuating wars, repressive governments, and political bribery.[3] It’s not just the petro-based policies and commodities to be concerned with though. The oil and gas industry can suppress and manipulate critical data. Just imagine, for example, if Exxon (currently ExxonMobil) had been transparent about the dangers of climate change when the company was first warned about it by their own senior scientist in the late 1970s.[4] Instead of spending millions to promote confusion or climate change denial for decades, they could have quite possibly changed the course of history and paved the way for a cleaner, greener planet and economy. Who knows how much death and destruction they could have helped prevent?
Question the Norm
The writing is all over the wall that our pervasive use of fossil fuels is ecocidal, but we’re repeatedly conditioned to accept the latest oil extraction endeavors like the Keystone Pipeline, Canada’s tar sands, or deep-water drilling in the Arctic. Manipulative phrases like “energy freedom” and “jobs creation” are used to lure in support while making those of us who question, object, or protest look like we’re anti-jobs or unpatriotic. Nothing could be further from the truth. We are in the midst of a real climate emergency. So, if we want to significantly change things, we have to face the facts, get money out of politics, and use our purchasing power wisely.
Why Are Fossil Fuel Companies Investing in Renewables?
These days, Big Oil, made up of corporations such as ExxonMobile, Chevron, Shell, ConnocoPhillips, and BP, are investing an increasing amount of money into renewables, but what’s the real motivation? As public demand for electric cars, solar panels, and wind farms grows, pressure from stake holders to diversify assets appears to be one driving force.
It ought to be no surprise that money, rather than integrity, would be the focus. For years. feel-good commercials and website branding from the oil and gas industry led us to believe that they were committed to investing in alternative energy. However, some of the investments made were barely 1% of their expenditures. BP, who went so far as to rebrand their company as “Beyond Petroleum”, only reached 6% in 2011.[5] Some of these corporations actually spent more on advertising (which often included warm and fuzzy messages about alternatives) than they did on strengthening sustainable sources.
Before the oil price crash of 2014, all of these petro giants actually began divesting in sustainable energy by selling off wind farms and solar operations. Despite what their PR campaigns had been implying, they redirected funds towards high risk drilling of oil and natural gas. So, now Big Oil is back exploring renewables in a bigger way. Some of the investments are simply aimed at reducing their own energy costs rather than directly benefiting the global community though.
In 2008, Exxon vice president, J.S. Simon, summed it up perfectly to Congress by saying, “[T]he pursuit of alternative fuels must not detract from the development of oil and gas.”[6]
Downsizing Big Oil Through Sustainability
So, what’s it going to take to free ourselves from the dominance of fossil fuels and translate our hopes of a sustainable, livable planet into real actions and substantial change? There’s no doubt that many of the products and amenities that are offered to us through dirty energy corporations make things more convenient, comfortable, and even fun. But at what cost do we keep wastefully using their products without deeply caring about the consequences? At what cost do we refuse to hold Big Oil legally and morally accountable?
Now more than ever, our health, and the planetary crisis that’s ensued, demands that we hurry up and learn to be more judicious with the products we choose and the politicians we elect. Thankfully, there are plenty of existing solutions, including wind and solar power instead of fossil fuels and real biodegradable materials to significantly reduce plastics. So, challenge yourself and the old system and be a part of a beautiful transformation.
Take Action
- Prioritize zero emissions or low emission vehicles, like electric cars or hybrids over gas guzzlers and vehicles that aren’t fuel efficient
- As much as possible, rely on ride sharing, carpooling, public transportation, walking, or bicycling instead of driving solo
- Significantly reduce how much plastic you’re using and buying, especially single-use disposables like cutlery, plastic bags, and plastic straws
- If you take any pharmaceuticals (which often contain petrochemicals), do your best to reduce or eliminate your need for them with a healthy, holistic diet and lifestyle and the supervision of your doctor(s)
- Prioritize beauty and personal care products that are made without petrochemicals
- Prioritize household cleaners and household products that are made without petrochemicals
- Sign up for green energy programs through your local utilities or install solar panels or mini wind turbines (or request that your landlord does)
- Reshape retail by reusing secondhand items (instead of needlessly buying new) and donating old items to thrift stores and charities rather than throwing goods away
- Divest your money out of fossil fuels by using a credit union instead of Big Banks that finance pipelines and moving away from mutual funds or market shares representing fossil fuels
- Contact your representatives and let them know that you want truly safe, clean energy like wind and solar in your state, not oil, natural gas, coal, or nuclear
My mission: As a Holistic Health Coach & Eco Expert, I’m dedicated to leading you straight to the core of what it takes to enjoy a new level of vitality, desired weight loss, sustainability, and detoxification. Enjoy my transformative programs and experience true health with true purpose!
[1] CBSNews.com. “Oil & gas industry spills happen ‘all the time’” by Armen Keteyian. April 12, 2011. Accessed October 6th, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oil-gas-industry-spills-happen-all-the-time/
[2] CBSNews.com. “Oil & gas industry spills happen ‘all the time’” by Armen Keteyian. April 12, 2011. Accessed October 6th, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oil-gas-industry-spills-happen-all-the-time/
[3] CounterPunch.org. “Big Oil’s War on the Sun” by JP Sottile. May 14, 2013. Accessed October 6th, 2015. http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/05/14/big-oils-war-on-the-sun/
[4]Scientific American. ScientificAmerican.com. “Exxon Knew about Climate Change almost 40 years ago.” By Shannon Hall. October 26th, 2015. Accessed February 13th, 2019
[5] RollingStone.com. “Big Oil’s Big Lies About Alternative Energy” by Antonia Juhasz. June 25, 2013. Accessed October 6th, 2015. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/big-oils-big-lies-about-alternative-energy-20130625
[6] RollingStone.com. “Big Oil’s Big Lies About Alternative Energy” by Antonia Juhasz. June 25, 2013. Accessed October 6th, 2015. http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/big-oils-big-lies-about-alternative-energy-20130625
Leave a Reply