Leaders | Big oil and the environment

The truth about big oil and climate change

Even as concerns about global warming grow, energy firms are planning to increase fossil-fuel production. None more than ExxonMobil

IN AMERICA, THE world’s largest economy and its second biggest polluter, climate change is becoming hard to ignore. Extreme weather has grown more frequent. In November wildfires scorched California; last week Chicago was colder than parts of Mars. Scientists are sounding the alarm more urgently and people have noticed—73% of Americans polled by Yale University late last year said that climate change is real. The left of the Democratic Party wants to put a “Green New Deal” at the heart of the election in 2020. As expectations shift, the private sector is showing signs of adapting. Last year around 20 coal mines shut. Fund managers are prodding firms to become greener. Warren Buffett, no sucker for fads, is staking $30bn on clean energy and Elon Musk plans to fill America’s highways with electric cars.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Crude awakening”

Crude awakening: The truth about Big Oil and climate change

From the February 9th 2019 edition

Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents

Explore the edition
Illustration of someone stumbling inside a clock.

Donald Trump was right. Daylight Saving Time needs to go

Evidence on the health costs is piling up

Why the IMF should bail out a serial deadbeat

Under President Javier Milei, Argentina has changed



President Trump’s mindless tariffs will cause economic havoc

But the rest of the world can limit the damage

Lift sanctions to give Syria a chance of rebuilding

Our poll shows Syrians trust their new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa. So should the West

Why Marine Le Pen should be allowed to run for president

Punish the offender without also punishing French democracy