A Little Note to Exxon-Mobil

WASHINGTON — Exxon Mobil Corp. gave $16 million to 43 ideological groups between 1998 and 2005 in an effort to mislead the public by discrediting the science behind global warming, the Union of Concerned Scientists asserted Wednesday.

Anyone who has seen the film Jurassic Park will remember the scene where the dinosaurs first escape into the park, after Newman breaks down the computer system and shuts down the power. As the dinosaurs (not necessarily from the Jurassic Period) roam the park eating people and each other, Dr. Ian Malcolm, the mathemetician of the group, played by Jeff Goldblum, says quietly to himself, "I really hate being right all the time."

When I read the first paragraph of the news story I posted at the top, I said (quietly) to myself, "I really hate being right all the time." Well, not necessarily all the time, since that would take all the mystery out of life, but some things are just too obvious to be anything but rotten to the core; and this is a prime example.

For a whole summer, while gasoline prices were rising above the $3 a gallon mark, and XOM stock was having it's best year since 1980, those of us with a cynical nature wondered what was going on. Crude oil suddenly got very difficult to find, and the anti-Al Gore jackasses were out in full throat.

As it turns out, the oil made a sudden comeback. Apparently the dead Jurassic dinosaurs are everywhere - as long as we look in the right places, and the anti-Al Gore contingent (polite word for jackasses) turned out to be paid shills by big oil. Go figure.

And some people wonder why I am so cynical. Not one to shy away from a fight, the XOM spokespeople (polite word for jackass) has something to say about the report of bribery:

Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil called the scientists' report Wednesday "yet another attempt to smear our name and confuse the discussion of the serious issue of CO2 emissions and global climate change."

Smearing their name is easier than sex with a crack-whore (polite word for Exxon-Mobil executives).

And, what issue are we confusing, exactly? Is there any doubt about the science? Are people confused when they wander outside on a January day in New Jersey and find that they can comfortably wear short pants? Are they confused by the images of icebergs breaking apart? Science does not mislead. Corporations and businesses mislead. They have a long history of it, and it surprises me a little that people are buying-into the bunk that Exxon spent $16 million spreading around.

I think the only serious discussions of CO2 emissions are taking place in scientific circles, while the people at big oil companies would have us drive in circles wondering why it's so damned warm outside.

If you're feeling chilly, you can read the whole story here.