Pope Francis Delivers Frank Remarks To Oil Company Execs

Explaining to oil executives that fossil fuel consumption and the resulting climate change will hurt poor people most, Pope Francis once again demonstrates that his heart is firmly implanted in the right place.

What he appears not to understand however, is that his audience obviously doesn’t care.  This was news 41 years ago, but it certainly isn’t today.  Exxon’s knowledge of climate change dates back to July 1977, when its senior scientist James Black delivered a sobering message on the topic.

From Scientific American: Exxon was aware of climate change, as early as 1977, 11 years before it became a public issue, according to a recent investigation from InsideClimate News. This knowledge did not prevent the company (now ExxonMobil and the world’s largest oil and gas company) from spending decades refusing to publicly acknowledge climate change and even promoting climate misinformation—an approach many have likened to the lies spread by the tobacco industry regarding the health risks of smoking. Both industries were conscious that their products wouldn’t stay profitable once the world understood the risks, so much so that they used the same consultants to develop strategies on how to communicate with the public.  

I deeply love the Pope and a great deal of what he stands for.  I only wish his words had greater impact on this depraved civilization.