Summary On September 14, 1992, Lodewijk van Wachem, chairman of the Supervisory Board of Royal Dutch Petroleum Company (“Shell”), gave a speech titled, “The three-cornered challenge – energy, environment, and population.” Unearthed by Jelmer Mommers from journalism platform De Correspondent in a trove of internal Shell documents, this speech was given by van Wachem as […]
Summary This document is a speech given by Mobil’s former President of Research and Development, Joseph V. D’Ambrisi, on June 8, 1989 in New York. This speech was given at the international public affairs meeting and it focuses on the importance of using Mobil technology to develop and foster environmental policies. The speech also outlines Mobil’s new […]
Summary This presentation entitled “Potential Enhanced Greenhouse Gas Effects: Status and Outlook” was made by Duane Levine, Exxon’s manager of science and strategy development, to Exxon’s Board of Directors on February 22, 1989. The presentation evidences Exxon’s shift from a leader in climate change research to an advocate against the dissemination of climate change information in the […]
Summary December 6-8, 1988 an international group of dignitaries, politicians, scientists, economists, and industry representatives attended the Climate Institute’s second North American conference on “Preparing for Climate Change.” The following 731 page document contains the conference’s agenda, transcriptions of the various panelists’ remarks, and peer-reviewed articles related to climate change. In its totality, the book […]
Summary This document, revealed through a Los Angeles Times investigation, features statements by Joseph M. Carlson, an Exxon spokesperson. In the document, Carlson states that the “greenhouse effect” may be one of the most significant environmental issues of the 1990’s and that the main greenhouse gases are by-products of fossil fuels. Carlson admits that the […]
Summary This is a presentation given by Exxon Research and Engineering Company’s Brian P. Flannery, who became one of Exxon’s primary climate researchers after joining the company in 1980. His initial research for Exxon on the relationship between CO2 and climate change confirmed the results that other scientists were finding at the time, predicting that […]
Summary November 12, 1982 Exxon’s M.B. Glaser, manager of the Environmental Affairs Program, sends a memo to Exxon management on the CO2 greenhouse effect intended for the management staff to familiarize themselves with the subject. Glaser includes the April 1, 1982 “CO2 Greenhouse Effect: Technical Review” report. In Glaser’s summary to management, he writes that […]
Summary August 18, 1981 memo from Exxon’s Roger Cohen to Exxon’s Werner Glass with comments about Glass’ draft report on possible consequences of fossil fuel consumption out to 2030. Cohen writes that it is very likely “we will unambiguously recognize the threat by the year 2000 because of advances in climate modeling and the beginning of […]
Summary On May 15, 1981, Henry Shaw, a manager with Exxon Research & Engineering’s Technology Feasibility center, sent a “Preliminary Statement of Exxon’s Position on the Growth of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide” to Edward. E David Jr., president of the Exxon Research and Engineering Company. The inter-office correspondence outlined Exxon’s “current position on the CO2 Greenhouse […]
Summary Exxon scientist Henry Shaw provides draft comments on the National Commission on Air Quality’s CO2 Workshop regarding rising levels of carbon dioxide and harmful impacts to society and the environment. These comments, dated December 5, 1980, include major edits to the report and also make policy recommendations for national and international action to reduce […]