Royal Dutch Shell cuts ties with Alec over rightwing group's climate denial

[riversedge]

Source: the guardian



Shell joins BP in corporate exodus from membership of the conservative, free-market lobbying group, which continues to deny the science of climate change

Friday 7 August 2015 13.59 EDT
Last modified on Friday 7 August 2015 14.41 EDT


Royal Dutch Shell have announced they will end their membership of the far-right American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec) because of its continuing denial of the science of climate change.

In a statement released on Friday, a Shell spokesman said: “Alec advocates for specific economic growth initiatives, but its stance on climate change is clearly inconsistent with our own.”

Shell joins fellow oil major BP in a corporate exodus from the conservative, free-market lobby group. Shell’s decision comes after sustained pressure from campaign groups, in particular the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), for Shell to stop funding Alec. The group’s position statement on climate change calls it an “historical phenomenon”.

“The debate will continue on the significance of natural and anthropogenic contributions,” it reads. Alec has lead an assault on renewable energy that observers are concerned could significantly hamper the industry. ...............

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/business/2015/aug/07/royal-dutch-shell-alec-climate-change-denial

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Good news.

[arcane1]

1. Now they need to stop drilling in the Arctic.

"Money where your mouth is" and all that.

[drm604]

2. “historical phenomenon”

WTF does that even mean? It's meaningless weasel words.

[procon]

3. This is just a meaningless press statement.

It means nothing. It costs them nothing, And they are changing nothing. But hey, thanks to Shell for the tasty word salad.

[geek tragedy]

4. I think it's a major statement when a Big Carbon company

affirms climate change to such a degree they throw the deniers under the bus

[procon]

5. Shell has previously acknowledged climate change and done nothing

to reduce their role in creating it. Dumping ALEC now, won't impact their business model or hurt Shell's profits, both will continue to do the exact same things that they have always done, and the disastrous impact of climate change will continue on unchecked.

[hatrack]

6. BINGO

They'll keep on drilling, keep on spilling, keep on killing, but they'll look oh so much more reasonable doing so.

Fuck 'em.

[grntuscarora]

7. Took 'em long enough.

Way, way too long.
That said, anything that gives ALEC a black eye is fine with me.

[hatrack]

8. They'll simply find another, more palatable, or (if necessary) more anonymous front group . . .

And, as stated above, keep on doing what they do.

They don't care. They can't care. They're not built that way.

It doesn't matter how many happy children or flowers or solar panels they put on their fucking website.

It doesn't matter how loudly they trumpet their self-proclaimed "conscience". They're a corporation. They don't have a conscience.

[truebluegreen]

9. How nice. Stop effing drilling! ANYWHERE. nt