Exxon Mobil profits

[preACHER]

DO YOU HAVE STOCK IN THESE COMPANIES?

[winzy]

Thanks for looking into it. I read the article on wikipedia as well as a few of the articles they had listed. At least some of the signatures are not valid, though they also have apparently verified some of them also. The petition itself seems to be shoddy work, and misleading, which makes a person wonder on the validity of their point.

only one Earth wrote:

<quoted text>
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon_Petition
In May 1998 the Seattle Times wrote:
“ Several environmental groups questioned dozens of the names: "Perry S. Mason" (the fictitious lawyer?), "Michael J. Fox" (the actor?), "Robert C. Byrd" (the senator?), "John C. Grisham" (the lawyer-author?). And then there's the Spice Girl, a k a. Geraldine Halliwell: The petition listed "Dr. Geri Halliwell" and "Dr. Halliwell."
Asked about the pop singer, Robinson said he was duped. The returned petition, one of thousands of mailings he sent out, identified her as having a degree in microbiology and living in Boston. "It's fake," he said.”
In 2005, Scientific American reported:
“ Scientific American took a sample of 30 of the 1,400 signatories claiming to hold a Ph.D. in a climate-related science. Of the 26 we were able to identify in various databases, 11 said they still agreed with the petition —- one was an active climate researcher, two others had relevant expertise, and eight signed based on an informal evaluation. Six said they would not sign the petition today, three did not remember any such petition, one had died, and five did not answer repeated messages. Crudely extrapolating, the petition supporters include a core of about 200 climate researchers – a respectable number, though rather a small fraction of the climatological community.”
In a 2005 op-ed in the Hawaii Reporter, Todd Shelly wrote:
“ In less than 10 minutes of casual scanning, I found duplicate names (Did two Joe R. Eaglemans and two David Tompkins sign the petition, or were some individuals counted twice?), single names without even an initial (Biolchini), corporate names (Graybeal & Sayre, Inc. How does a business sign a petition?), and an apparently phony single name (Redwine, Ph.D.). These examples underscore a major weakness of the list: there is no way to check the authenticity of the names. Names are given, but no identifying information (e.g., institutional affiliation) is provided. Why the lack of transparency?

[Global Guessing]

I find the diverse opinions thought provoking. When time permits, read,"Junk Science:The Great Global Warming Race"by Steven Milloy. Just google in junk science and its pops right up. Milloy is very good at debunking scientific data that is used to further some activists agendas.

[Agnostic_One]

Global Guessing wrote:

I find the diverse opinions thought provoking. When time permits, read,"Junk Science:The Great Global Warming Race"by Steven Milloy. Just google in junk science and its pops right up. Milloy is very good at debunking scientific data that is used to further some activists agendas.

While at FoxNews.com , Milloy has continued to criticize claims that secondhand tobacco smoke causes cancer. However, with the release of confidential tobacco industry documents as part of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement, the objectivity of Milloy's stance on secondhand smoke has been questioned. Based on this documentation, journalists Paul D. Thacker and George Monbiot, as well as the Union of Concerned Scientists and others, have contended that Milloy is a paid advocate for the tobacco industry.
Milloy's junkscience.com website was reviewed and revised by a public relations firm hired by the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company. Milloy also worked as executive director of The Advancement of Sound Science Coalition (TASSC), a "front group" established in 1993 by Philip Morris and its public relations firm "to expand and assist Philip Morris in its efforts with issues in targeted states." Philip Morris memos describe "utilizing TASSC as a tool in targeted legislative battles"; a 1994 Philip Morris memo listed TASSC among its "Tools to Affect Legislative Decisions". According to its 1997 annual report, TASSC "sponsored" junkscience.com .
The New Republic reported that Milloy, who is presented by Fox News as an independent journalist, was under contract to provide consulting services to Philip Morris through the end of 2005. In 2000 & 2001, for example, Milloy received a total of $180,000 in payments from Philip Morris for consulting services. A spokesperson for Fox News stated, "Fox News was unaware of Milloy's connection with Philip Morris. Any affiliation he had should have been disclosed." Milloy's association with the Cato Institute ended shortly afterwards; however, as of March 2008, he continues to write for FoxNews.com , where he is described as a "junk science expert." Monbiot wrote: "Even after Fox News was told about the money [Milloy] had been receiving from Philip Morris and Exxon, it continued to employ him, without informing its readers about his interests."

Sorry if I discount paid lobbyists for tobacco companies and exxon when they say things like tobacco doesn't cause cancer and global warming doesn't exist... Now why would someone receiving large sums of money from Phillip Morris and Exxon say things like that on Fox news and write books about that?

[only one Earth]

Junk science is a term used in U.S. political and legal disputes that brands an advocate's claims about scientific data, research, analyses as spurious. The term generally conveys a pejorative connotation that the advocate is driven by political, ideological, financial, and other unscientific motives.

The term junk science was further popularized by Fox News columnist Steven Milloy, who used it to attack the results of scientific research on global warming, ozone depletion, passive smoking and many other topics. The credibility of Milloy's website junkscience.com , was questioned by Paul D. Thacker, a writer for The New Republic in the wake of evidence that MILLOY HAD RECEIVED FUNDING FROM PHILLIP MORRIS, RJR TOBACCO, AND EXXON MOBIL. Following the publication of this article the Cato Institute, which had hosted the junkscience.com site, ceased its association with the site and removed Milloy from its list of adjunct scholars.

[Agnostic_One]

only one Earth wrote:

Junk science is a term used in U.S. political and legal disputes that brands an advocate's claims about scientific data, research, analyses as spurious. The term generally conveys a pejorative connotation that the advocate is driven by political, ideological, financial, and other unscientific motives.
The term junk science was further popularized by Fox News columnist Steven Milloy, who used it to attack the results of scientific research on global warming, ozone depletion, passive smoking and many other topics. The credibility of Milloy's website junkscience.com , was questioned by Paul D. Thacker, a writer for The New Republic in the wake of evidence that MILLOY HAD RECEIVED FUNDING FROM PHILLIP MORRIS, RJR TOBACCO, AND EXXON MOBIL. Following the publication of this article the Cato Institute, which had hosted the junkscience.com site, ceased its association with the site and removed Milloy from its list of adjunct scholars.

I beat you this time!!

[Green Hornet]

Agnostic_One wrote:

<quoted text>
I beat you this time!!

Score one for AO..lol

[Jabber Jaws]

Bush is supposed to ask Saudi Arabia to step up production. They will probably tell him the same thing they told him in Jan. which ended up being a "no".

Did anyone see the news story where a guy has pledged not to use gas for 31 days?

[Jabber Jaws]

My husband was telling me yesterday that he heard holiday travel was going to be down at least 35%, because of gas prices, which is going to really affect the lodging industry.

[Agnostic_One]

Jabber Jaws wrote:

Bush is supposed to ask Saudi Arabia to step up production. They will probably tell him the same thing they told him in Jan. which ended up being a "no".
Did anyone see the news story where a guy has pledged not to use gas for 31 days?

Does that include gas made products like plastic? Jeez that would suck. How would I fish without mono-filament?

[Agnostic_One]

Jabber Jaws wrote:

My husband was telling me yesterday that he heard holiday travel was going to be down at least 35%, because of gas prices, which is going to really affect the lodging industry.

Makes sense... but plane tickets are cheap right now... seattle next week were only 300 from AirTran... Much cheaper than the drive...

[Stratus]

2 angles I heard on an Am radio station the other night that seems to sum up the high price of gas

1) The U.S. dollar was intentionally weakened by the federal reserve to boost U.S. exports. Exports still have continually been dropping though so that never worked.

2) U.S. Oil companies export the majority of oil they produce to countries over seas. The imported oil price is set by opec and the U.S. companies sell at this price also. If U.S. oil stayed home they could not manipulate the price. This is why American oil companies are making record profits. They are selling oil produced here in america at opec prices.

One way to fix this is to get rid of the federal reserve. There is nothing federal about it and is run by private bankers. Our system was set up to be a free market not to be ran by a small group of people. Another way would be to keep american oil here. Cartels are illegal here and the american oil companies are in collusion with opec by selling overseas so the imported oil can be jacked up thus letting them set the price for what the american companies sell.

[Agnostic_One]

I actually heard a guy today on the Radio saying that Global Warming was a Plot by the Big Oil Companies... his only proof was their profits... hmmmm... and that Al Gore was a "Oil Man" I don't know about that... but it was still interesting to hear... The guy is a total conspiracy NUT. Alex Jones... You gotta listen to him. He is as far right as you can get. One of the Montana Militant types. God Bless him though, I listen religiously while I am fishing (he goes well with beer)... even got his PodCast.

[Jabber Jaws]

Agnostic_One wrote:

<quoted text>
Does that include gas made products like plastic? Jeez that would suck. How would I fish without mono-filament?

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/s tories/O/ODD_NO_MORE_GAS?SITE= INMUN&SECTION=HOME&TEM PLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-0 5-16-20-13-16

[Green Hornet]

I heard something about the fact that some of the oil from our oil well are sent overseas.Doesn't make much sense to me.Also we refine oil here in the US and send it overseas.I haven't been able to find anything about that yet.AO,UTStudent, have you heard anything like that?Anyone else?

[UTStudent]

Green Hornet wrote:

I heard something about the fact that some of the oil from our oil well are sent overseas.Doesn't make much sense to me.Also we refine oil here in the US and send it overseas.I haven't been able to find anything about that yet.AO,UTStudent, have you heard anything like that?Anyone else?

I don't have any source, but it makes sense that a lot of "american" oil companies ship their refined petrol overseas to make even more of a profit. I do know that OPEC basically sets the market price for oil and this is why companies are making bank off of the oil, because they are buying and refining it relatively cheap, but then selling by OPEC's standards and pocketing the difference. This seems to be what happens when the government or the people don't step up to keep the "big boys" in check. Teddy Roosevelt is rolling in his grave right now over this type of business.

[Green Hornet]

UTStudent wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't have any source, but it makes sense that a lot of "american" oil companies ship their refined petrol overseas to make even more of a profit. I do know that OPEC basically sets the market price for oil and this is why companies are making bank off of the oil, because they are buying and refining it relatively cheap, but then selling by OPEC's standards and pocketing the difference. This seems to be what happens when the government or the people don't step up to keep the "big boys" in check. Teddy Roosevelt is rolling in his grave right now over this type of business.

Glad to see you back.Hope the tests did not fry any brain cells.I do not want to take advantage.lol..I did some research and I do not see where America exports oil from the oil wells but could not find anything on exporting refined oil.What you said makes sense to me..

[UTStudent]

Yeah exams were stressful, but me and Dani both pulled through very well with our grades. I also haven't found anything about export oil, but a lot about importing.

[only one Earth]

I found this article and thought I'd post it. It was published in 2006 by the ANWR News so it may be a little skewed. However, I did look up this senator's name and came across several similiar articles.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, is demanding that the Commerce Department release detailed reports on which companies are exporting U.S. oil, how much and where it went.

Last year the nation exported 268 million barrels of oil. Shockingly, according to Dept. of Energy figures, that's about equal to the amount of oil we imported from Iraq in 2001, the year before our latest war with that country began. It's also about equal to the most optimistic guesses about production volume from ANWR, if drilling is allowed there.

In other words, if we simply held onto our own oil, the United States would have no oil interest in Iraq at all. And it would also negate any perceived need to disturb an irreplaceable wildlife refuge in the search for oil.

But the Commerce Department refused to provide the detail Wyden wants, saying it could only be released to a Congressional committee, not an individual representative. The agency also claims federal law forbids disclosure unless a finding is made that withholding the information contradicts national interests. That sounds like hogwash to me.

Wyden's request is of significant interest for two more reasons. First, it is likely that if oil drilling is approved in ANWR, much of that oil will be exported to Asia rather than sold in the U.S. Secondly, the more obvious reason is that every motorist and politician who can warm a chair is concerned about the nation's growing dependence on imported oil. It would seem to contradict our economic and political interests to worsen this imbalance by selling off our own supplies.

In a letter sent Monday to Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Wyden demanded release of the information, calling it "directly relevant to the coming Congressional debate on how to address our nation's dependence on imports of oil and other petroleum products."

I'd call that an understatement. But Wyden faces an uphill battle to get a committee to demand the numbers. Though Wyden is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, it and all other Congressional committees are controlled by Republicans. And as we've seen, Republicans these days aren't very interested in facts, especially if those facts contradict their agenda.

[Green Hornet]

UTStudent wrote:

Yeah exams were stressful, but me and Dani both pulled through very well with our grades. I also haven't found anything about export oil, but a lot about importing.

Glad to hear exams went well and was great to hear from you.Hope to hear from Dani soon.Dani smoke me on a couple debates but I beat the count and am ready for some more rounds.lol