What is the responsibility of the fossil fuel industry when addressing the climate crisis?
This article was published in The Guardian recently. It is one of many articles that report on the fossil fuel industry's awareness of climate change problems decades ago. Transitioning away from fossil fuels will not be easy, and there may always be a need for some fossil fuels, especially oil and natural gas. Should the fossil fuel instutry be held accountable and responsble? What should they contribute to the transition?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/30/fossil-fuel-industry-air-pollution-fund-research-caltech-climate-change-denial
The responsibility of the fossil fuel industry in addressing the climate crisis is high, as it has a hand in funding foundational climate science dating back to 1954. Despite possessing early knowledge of the climate impact of its products, the industry has kept public denial of climate science and hindered meaningful action. Therefore, the responsibility of the industry is to acknowledge its role in driving the climate crisis, take accountability for its carbon emissions, support the transition to cleaner energy sources, and stop misleading the public.
ReplyDeleteHi Maxwell, I appreciate what you have to say and I agree with it. I feel that the fossil fuel industry should be responsible for a large part in addressing our climate crisis. One thing that I think makes this challenging is that so many people support the fossil fuel industry (although maybe not with that intention) by buying gasoline or diesel or products that are produced from petroleum. There is such a reliance on this substance, that the industry has so much power to continue even if it is detrimental to our continued existence. I would ask how people would be able to transition in mass towards a clean source of fuel without impacting communities that currently need fossil fuels for any reason though.
DeleteWhat purpose would it serve and how could we hold them accountable? Even with the disclosure of this information early on, would it alter our current situation where we are still struggling to produce sustainable energy that is net-zero? In my opinion, we must allocate a portion of taxes/profits towards research and development funds. Ultimately, I believe the solution lies in reducing overall consumption and investing in nuclear power.
ReplyDeleteIf we held the fossil fuel industry accountable what would be the new resources we would use in replacement of fossil fuels? Although how harmful the fossil fuel industry is to the earth humans use these products that the fossil fuel industry makes everyday. Electric cars can be a solution, however they are priced very high that most people cannot afford them. If we want to reduce the usage of fossil fuels we need to reduce the money that is being put into it and put the money into other replaceable resources instead. If we want to solve this problem we also need to make things cheaper in order for people to stop buying things like cars that use gas.
ReplyDeleteHere is a resource I found explaining different ways of how we can reduce fossil fuels. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sources-and-solutions-fossil-fuels
I really appreciate this comment and agree with a lot of what you said. Although it sounds great to just completely get rid of the fossil fuels, we currently heavily rely on fossil fuels. I like how you mentioned that electric cars could be a solution, but not really. They also have not so great effects on the Earth in making them and honestly there is a large market of people who will just simply never drive an electric car so it would be nearly impossible to just switch over to electric even with some plans in place like in California, I just don't see it happening any time soon.
DeleteThank you Samantha for bringing up this very insightful comment. I believe that governments can play a role in helping the move towards mass implementation of EV (electric vehicle) technology throughout the United States. A big controversy has been the EV credit which subsidizes the purchasing of new EVs which meet certain criteria. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of deliberation whether the limitations of which cars qualify for the EV credit is fair or useful. Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla, has been an outspoken critic of the Biden Administration and their lack of support for Tesla who is currently the leader in the EV sector in the United States. The Tesla Model 3, the most affordable option (which is still expensive for most people), has slowly been losing its support for the EV credit. Government plays a large role in what sort of products get supported and thus could contribute a lot towards moving people to EVs. Here is an article that goes more deeply into the EV credit policy published by NPR: https://www.npr.org/2023/12/28/1219158071/ev-electric-vehicles-tax-credit-car-shopping-tesla-ford-vw-gm as well as another relevant article published by Reuters on the same topics: https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-taps-biden-tax-credits-offset-ev-price-cuts-2023-07-21/
DeleteThe information presented in this article is unsettling to hear. Big Oil knew of the dangers and consequences of burning fossil fuels at least as far back as 1954, and instead of doing something to fix the problem or alert the public they participated in a major coverup. I believe that the Fossil Fuel industry should be held financially responsible to fund research efforts into cleaner energy sources and fund climate change projects. As the transition is vital the fossil fuel industry should see this as an opportunity to expand their market into new forms of energy, this would offer them financial incentives as well as help fund clean energy research. The article I linked provides insights into ExxonMobile's cultural shift and acceptance of cleaner energy sources. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/06/23/exxonmobil-at-crossroads-of-clean-energy-transition-climate-crisis.html
ReplyDeleteIt would be different if the fossil fuel industry was ignorant of their effect on the climate, but because they were fully aware of the permanent effect their inaction against this universal threat is inexcusable. The Fossil Fuel industry should have recognized the universal detrimental effects, and instead of bowing to the influences of capitalism, worked towards alternatives or ways to mitigate the impact of increasing levels of green house gases due to their industry. This is exactly their responsibility now in this transition, they should recognize that their industry is not sustainable long term and that they should fund research to look for alternatives to major products of fossil fuel; plastics, lubricants, etc; and manners of carbon sequestration for necessary uses of fossil fuels.
ReplyDeleteI do not think oil and gas companies can be held directly responsible. While what fossil fuel companies have done is morally wrong, the never had any legal responsibilities to inform the public. The best way we can hold these companies responsible is to pass legislature that forces the hand of fossil fuel companies to aid in the transition to renewable energy. By doing this, we can essentially force fossil fuel companies to aid in this transition as we see fit. I think we should implement taxes on natural gas products while offering incentives on development and implementation of clean energy products including incentives for citizens who purchase clean energy resources. This would help to aid the transition to clean energy while offering ways to keep clean energy affordable for the public.
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ReplyDeleteI think that society should be responsible as well not just the fossil fuel industry alone. While the fossil fuel industry undoubtedly plays a significant role in greenhouse gas emissions, society as a whole is responsible for unsustainable practices and consumption patterns. From individuals' choices regarding transportation, diet, and energy usage contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases. The fossil fuel industry needs to be aware and make changes however it will also take society to make change for us to make a impact on climate change. We cant jut sit and place the blame on one specific group because we all contribute to the issue.
ReplyDeleteI think the fossil fuel industry should definitely be held accountable for their actions and their impact on the environment. As an industry, they chose to ignore/deny climate change so that they could keep making profits. While this makes sense for the industry, it's incredibly harmful to society and our planet. I believe fossil fuel companies should use a large portion of their profit to reinvest into research to develop more sustainable energy sources so that they can eventually transition into cleaner energy. This doesn't make sense money-wise for the companies though, so they probably won't do it unless they need to, which is why there needs to be some government intervention in the fossil fuel industry.
ReplyDeleteI think that there are a multitude of problems contributing to the climate crisis, and the fossil fuel industry is one of many. However, there is direct evidence that the fossil fuel industry has been knowingly causing harm to the environment. Because of this, I think it would be appropriate to hold the industry at least somewhat accountable. This could look like companies funding research efforts or making a trying to invest in renewable energy sources.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that world governments need to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable. The massive amount of wealth that they have accrued through exploiting the world's resources and doing everything in their power to continue doing so is, in my opinion criminal, and should be treated as such. There is no end to the estimates of the costs that climate change will have on our society, in monetary value but also in people's livelihoods and even death tolls. The fact that these corporations were aware of these impacts so long ago and continued to extract wealth at the cost of future generations should not be taken lightly. Fossil fuels are not going anywhere, but in order to be able to manage them effectively they need to be taken way from corporations and put into the hands of democratic governments who prioritize future generations over immediate wealth.
ReplyDeleteSomething to keep in mind is that the decisions around continuing to knowingly damage the environment was made by a few people, executives or people with power in a company. Holding an entire company which consists of potentially thousands of employees accountable could hurt a lot of people. It would be more appropriate to ascertain to what degree the people knew climate change would actually be harmful or permanent, and continued on their path and hold them directly responsible. Giving the companies the opportunity to pursue renewable energy avenues is another option I could see as fitting.
ReplyDeleteShould the fossil fuel industry be held accountable and responsible?
ReplyDelete- I do feel that the fossil fuel industry should be addressed in regard to their undeniable influence in contributing to the climate crisis. However, I do feel that it is important to recognize that they are not the only group responsible for the issue. Additionally, I feel that if we are going to point fingers at anyone, we should back our refutation with an alternative option for change. Currently, fossil fuels are needed so there is not much of a support to totally change.
What should they contribute to the transition?
- I feel that the fossil fuel industry should aim to conduct research into renewable and sustainable energy as a contribution to the transition. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, sustainable and renewable energy is key to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions (EIA, 2023). It is my goal and desire to see our world take control of the current crisis and strive toward a more sustainable future for following generations. With science and technology continuing to improve, I have full faith in our ability to be innovative in sustainable development.
Reference:
Renewable energy explained - U.S. Energy Information Administration. (2023). EIA. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/renewable-sources/
I think this question has a lot of different levels to both the problem and the solution. In regards to holding individuals accountable, we should be holding everyone accountable as climate change will effect all of us. However, while it is extremely clear that we should be holding fossil fuel companies accountable for knowingly damaging the environment, we also need to consider that society let itself be blinded by these companies so the blame does not fall entirely on them, rather it also forces us to reevaluate our societal values so that we are not blinded by money and corruption. With that being said, fossil fuel companies should be forced to pay reparations to both the government and the public in some form or another for continuing to knowingly contribute to climate change for decades.
ReplyDeleteThe information in this article was sickening to hear, but in all honesty, I wasn't one bit surprised to read that the fossil fuel industry has been aware of the dangers of their very industry since as early as 1954, "“They contain smoking gun proof that by at least 1954, the fossil fuel industry was on notice about the potential for its products to disrupt Earth’s climate on a scale significant to human civilization,” (Milman, 2024). Big corporations have long been known to disregard the wellbeing of others in the pursuit of profit or personal gain, so I'm not surprised to see this same mentality in the fossil fuel industry. This is the main reason I believe the fossil fuel industry is both responsible and must be held accountable for their errouneous decision making. They were aware of the possible harm their industry could cause and blatantly ignored this possibility. They should have to forego large sums of money to help reduce c02 emissions and reverse climate change. They could have changed the course of history by heeding the warning, but instead we now face a global crisis because of their greed.
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