Oil companies must protect their product before environmental policies harm our quality of life.

Why Oil Companies Need to Speak Up

The American oil and gas industry has failed to tell the truth about its product for decades, but not in the way you might think. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet with inspiring representatives from the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance, a coalition that takes a positive stance on American energy production. These individuals believe that oil and gas companies should be promoting the importance of their product to our economy, standard of living, and the future of the developing world.

Smaller industry groups and outsiders like Alex Epstein have been the ones explaining how vital oil and gas are. Meanwhile, the largest companies often apologize for their product and advertise “decarbonization” efforts, hoping to avoid “green” policy. This may be because high energy prices are good for their bottom line, and they think playing the middle will help them make bank while not giving up on oil and gas entirely.

Exxon Mobil Corporation is one of the few exceptions to this silence. The company recently said that the International Energy Agency’s net-zero emissions scenario, which suggests a 2050 deadline for “phasing out” fossil fuels, has “little bearing in reality.” Getting rid of oil and gas in pursuit of net-zero emissions by 2050 would seriously impact billions of people’s standard of living globally, and Exxon is at least softly saying so.

The Reality of Fossil Fuels

Multiple polls show that although most people claim to support “climate action,” they are far less enthusiastic once they see the actual price tag. Californians, for example, are often celebrated for their climate bona fides, but when polled on whether they would support a climate tax, their support fizzled. Europeans, who are generally happier with government climate initiatives, also don’t support those plans once they begin to directly impact their way of life.

A recent YouGov poll found that most Europeans were happy to support tree planting and similar projects, but when asked for more direct sacrifices, support fell off a cliff. Most were not on board with limiting meat or dairy intake, paying more for electricity or energy-efficient appliances, limiting how many children they have, or limiting or banning vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

Fossil fuels are the backbone of all these parts of life, and it makes sense that it is “highly unlikely” that a phaseout of fossil fuels will be supported once the masses realize the impact on their day-to-day lives. Without these technologies, yields would plummet, and the food supply would be threatened. Fossil fuels are even used in the mining, refining, manufacturing, transportation, and construction of renewable electric power sources like wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles.

Why Oil Companies Need to Speak Up

It is long past time for oil majors to defend their product. If the public, especially young people living in big cities, were fully aware of what “Big Green” and our government leadership are selling us, they might think twice about supporting candidates and policies that intend to drastically lower our standard of living. Oil companies need to speak up for all our sakes.

Source: The Western Journal

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