The New Climate War
Michael E. Mann is correct when he says that we cannot allow the profits of a few companies to destroy our planet and that the misinformation tactics of Exxon and other major oil firms are criminal (Commentary, “How to Win the New Climate War,” March/April 2020). However, the hydrocarbon producers are not the major problem. Certainly, extracting the raw material, transportation, and refining of products does release greenhouse gases, as do other manufacturers. But they are not the major polluters. Gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel are perfectly innocuous materials. It’s the consumers of these liquids who are the culprits. There are about 1.2 billion automotive vehicles on Earth, plus nearly 40,000 planes and large numbers of construction machines, almost all fueled by hydrocarbons. As long as they exist, someone will supply their fuel. We must somehow replace them with equipment that doesn’t emit CO2. Perhaps we should be blaming Ford, GM, Toyota, and Nissan, not Exxon and Shell.