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posted by martyb on Monday October 21 2019, @04:42PM   Printer-friendly
from the lies,-damn-lies,-and-statistics dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

Charges that Exxon Mobil misled investors on the financial risks of climate change will be heard in court this month after a New York judge gave the green light for a trial.

[...] Barry Ostrager, a New York judge, rejected motions on Wednesday night and set a trial to begin next Tuesday.

The lawsuit alleges that Exxon defrauded investors by claiming to fully account for the financial impact of future climate change mitigation policies, when it was not actually doing so.

[...] "As a result of Exxon's fraud, the company was exposed to far greater risk from climate change regulations than investors were led to believe," according to the complaint, which said the scheme enabled Exxon to avoid large asset write-downs that would have represented billions of dollars in lost revenue.

The complaint points the finger at the highest levels of Exxon, including former chief executive and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who "knew for years that the company's representations... were misleading," the complaint said.

An Exxon spokesman said the New York case against it "is misleading and deliberately misrepresents" the company's practices for assessing climate policies.

"The New York Attorney General's allegations are false," the spokesman said.

[...] In August 2018, the US Securities and Exchange Commission ended an investigation into Exxon's decision not to write down assets because of future climate change regulations, taking no action against the company.


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  • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Tuesday October 22 2019, @04:13AM (3 children)

    by bzipitidoo (4388) on Tuesday October 22 2019, @04:13AM (#910162) Journal

    What sort of preparations do you mean? Take a survivalist mentality and prepare for doom with a bunker and lots of stored food? Try to run away from this, like a rat leaving a sinking ship? Hell no. Stop the leaks, save the ship.

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  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @11:56AM (2 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @11:56AM (#910259)

    So you are very worried about climate change but haven't even thought of what preparations you could make for it? SMH...

    What is your plan? To sit around and wait for the government to help you? They are all going to be in their bunkers with their hordes of food, water, fuel, and tools. Some troops might be sent out to keep order as you wait in line for your rations at walmart.

    • (Score: 2) by bzipitidoo on Tuesday October 22 2019, @03:36PM (1 child)

      by bzipitidoo (4388) on Tuesday October 22 2019, @03:36PM (#910359) Journal

      Do you imagine that we're helpless babies dependent upon governments or other authorities? No way! I'm not waiting on anything or anyone. The plan is to head this off before it becomes dire. As for governments, make them do their jobs, which is to serve the people, not anti-social corporate and special interests. Talk of huddling in bunkers while the world goes through a climate apocalypse is just nuts. Yeah, I know there are some rich assholes who prepare to do just that, and in their heart of hearts (assuming they have hearts) even sort of want catastrophe to happen. Denial, fatalism and learned helplessness serves that agenda all too well.

      On the local level, I've given the city Hell over their lawn ordinances and enforcement. I fancy they're actually afraid to tangle with me. Sadly, there are still a few neighbors who don't agree with my views on reducing lawn care. I'd rather not mow at all, but for that purpose, I have a plug-in electric mower. No battery issues that way. The one big inconvenience is that you must be careful not to run over and cut the cord. But all else is great. Less maintenance, quieter, no fumes, instant on/off, lighter, smaller, and takes less energy. Still, I'd like to see cities maintain herds of goats or cattle, and rotate them through lawns.

      I have spent years reducing my own energy use. I _like_ lower electricity bills. Replaced incandescent lights with CFLs, then, when they became available, LEDs. One that often goes unnoticed is the computer. My computers are low power. Use 33W max, 9W on an average load, way less than the over 100W of typical desktops from 15 years ago. The biggest energy burner is indoor climate control. I have cultivated feeling comfortable with wider seasonal temperature differences. I find up to 83F very comfortable in the summer. All these things add up. I cut annual electricity use nearly in half, from 10,000 kWh to 5200 kWh.

      But now, I recently bought an electric car, a used Leaf, so I expect electricity use will go up. I have always used small economical cars, and always bought used. Yes, that did make it much harder to attract women, but I consoled myself that those were high maintenance sorts I wouldn't want anyway.

      I'm looking into adding solar panels. But the first use of solar energy should be heating of water. On that one, I've been frustrated, quoted ridiculous prices of $17,000 to install a solar water heating system, when a new tank for the existing system was only $300. $16,700 will pay for many, many years of heating water with gas or electricity. A big problem is, there's only so much you can do with the incredibly stupidly wasteful and frivolous designs of current housing. That half our energy is blown on mere heating and cooling is just criminal.

      All that is on an individual level. We need more. Our transportation systems favor the automobile far too much. Think about trying to cross the road, on foot, when that road is an interstate highway. Actual attempts are extremely rare, because most people have the sense not to try it. Even if you could do it without getting run over, it's generally illegal. You might think, just use the bridge or underpass at the nearest interchange. Maybe, but sometimes those bridges have absolutely no room for pedestrians, or no curb. Highways are immense barriers, and we should change that. There is finally recognition of this problem, and I understand new freeways are designed to be friendlier to pedestrians.

      Most promising is wind, solar, and hydroelectricity. It's not that hard. Really!

      • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:07PM

        by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday October 22 2019, @05:07PM (#910412)

        The plan is to head this off before it becomes dire.

        You are never going to stop the climate from changing, and should not want to either. You should adapt to the changing climate.

        On the local level, I've given the city Hell over their lawn ordinances and enforcement.

        I am sorry to say this is not going to stop the climate from changing.