The People Destroying the Earth
Any sane person who isn’t in denial is pretty unhappy with the state of the world right now. There’s plenty to be unhappy about.
But I’m most unhappy about the destruction of the climate, the end of a habitable Earth, and the hell our children and grandchildren will go through as a result. And I hold the decision makers, those who knowingly made this happen, fully responsible. That would be the ultra wealthy people who buy politicians and make policy. They also start “think tanks” and fund networks and industry groups to make their crimes against humanity popular with some segments of the public.
These people are often lauded — they’re rich, they must be smart! And, admittedly, they can be clever. But smart? How smart are people who spend their entire lives accumulating wealth at the cost of destroying the planet for their own children?
To my mind, they are the most tragically stupid people in history. Because they KNOW they are destroying everything, that their own offspring will suffer terribly and die cursing their names. But they are too enthralled with themselves to care.
Who are these people? Here’s a few. Before I name them, I’d like to thank Pay Up Climate Polluters, an organization that actually believes decision makers who destroy the climate should be held financially responsible for their actions. (I, personally, think they should be held FULLY responsible.)
The petroleum profiteers must be criticized, ridiculed, NEVER listened to, and exposed. They should be made uncomfortable every day, as should anyone helping them in their greedy, selfish and world-crushing actions.
But none of them should be harmed. We, unlike them, value human life and will take the higher ground. We are, after all, fighting for the children and future. Including their own (blameless) children.
Okay, let’s name names.
Mike Sommers
President of the American Petroleum Institute
He’s reachable on LinkedIn
Mr. Sommers continues the decades-long propaganda effort to enable the petroleum killers to continue destroying the Earth’s climate for profit.
He’s headed up (successful) efforts to remove climate-friendly provisions in the recent reconciliation package. The proposed carbon fee was removed. And he fought to defeat Biden’s proposed moratorium on leasing of Federal lands to oil companies. Biden bowed to Sommers and his soulless industry, reopening oil and gas leasing on Federal lands in the Gulf of Mexico on November 17, 2021.
This was a direct repudiation by Biden of one of his major campaign promises.
Sommers, unsurprisingly, has close connections to politicians who protect the oil industry. He previously served as Chief of Staff to (then) Speaker of the House John Boehner. And he “served” on the National Economic Council as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush
Darren Woods
ExxonMobil CEO
Mr. Woods heads the giant oil company and lies without limit, to protect his ability to profit from oil, and avoid responsibility for the storms, heatwaves and wildfires to which his company’s actions significantly contribute.
He is a master of greenwashing, trying to present his company as part of the solution while working tirelessly for the exact opposite. For example, he claims to support the Paris Agreement (which calls for reduction of fossil fuels) while preserving steady drilling and production.
On the plus side, the decades long effort to deny the reality of climate catastrophe, which Mr. Woods sought to continue, is finally collapsing as ridiculous to all but the most dim-witted believers.
In late October 2021, Mr Woods testified before Congress claiming that ExxonMobile does not deny climate change and that his company has not lobbied against reducing carbon emissions. He lied.
A few weeks later, ExxonMobile lobbyist Erik Oswald spoke on a panel about the climate situation saying: “Is it catastrophic inevitable risk? Not in my mind.“
Suzanne Clark
President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
She’s reachable on LinkedIn
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has long championed the oil business and Suzanne Clark continues that tradition. The organization she heads remains one of the most effective opponents against climate action.
She represents Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Shell, Phillips 66, Entergy, and other major corporations that sit on the board of the Chamber. Although she still peddles climate denialism, perhaps her biggest success is the $150 million she funneled to Congressional candidates opposed to climate action since Citizens United. The purchasing of politicians and policy is a key — perhaps THE key — to our continued and worsening climate crisis. Thanks, in large part, to Suzanne Clark.
Michael K. Wirth
CEO, Chevron
He’s reachable on LinkedIn
What can we say? Michael K. Wirth is a typical lying greenwashing fossil fuel CEO. He often speaks about Chevron’s alleged environmentally conscious direction.
“There’s a long future in a growth environment and there’s a long future even in an environment that begins to plateau for good economic investment to continue to provide the affordable, reliable, and ever cleaner energy the world will need.”
Yeah, I can’t make sense of that quote either but there’s that phrase “cleaner energy” which is intended to obscure what Chevron actually does.
Mr. Woods also committed perjury before Congress and (naturally) got away with it.
“We are committed to lowering our emissions,” Woods lied, while simultaneously admitting he’s currently increasing oil production.
TALK WITH THESE PEOPLE
I’m including LinkedIn information so you can tell them what you think. Be brief. These are busy people. Just tell them: “Your f-cking oil is destroying the climate. Keep doing what your doing and you will kill your own children and grandchildren, along with everyone else’s. Why don’t you care? How do you sleep?”
Say their names. Let everyone know that real actual living people are destroying the climate — knowingly for profit. Let everyone know who the people are, who are committing the worst ever crimes against humanity:
Mike Sommers, American Petroleum Institute
Darren Woods, ExxonMobil
Suzanne Clark, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Michael K. Wirth, Chevron
We cannot let the people known to be destroying the Earth to remain anonymous. Everyone should know their names and their crimes.
There are more. I plan to continue naming them.
Please pass this along to anyone who cares, who loves their children, who wants the Earth to recover.
