Here’s a great video interview with Guardian columnist George Monbiot and Jeroen van der Veer, the CEO of Royal Dutch Shell. The spin and bafflegab is almost too painful to watch. We need more reporters like Monbiot that push hard and ask the right questions.
Enjoy:
At a gathering in Dubai, Royal Duth PLC chief executive , Jeroen Van Der Veer, blasted the US government for not ratifying the Kyoto Accord and stated: "For us as a company, the debate over CO2 is over. We've entered a debate about what we can do about it."
This echos similar statements by President of Shell Oil president John Hoffmeister.
Democracy is utterly dependent upon an electorate that is accurately informed. In promoting climate change denial (and often denying their responsibility for doing so) industry has done more than endanger the environment. It has undermined democracy.
There is a vast difference between putting forth a point of view, honestly held, and intentionally sowing the seeds of confusion. Free speech does not include the right to deceive. Deception is not a point of view. And the right to disagree does not include a right to intentionally subvert the public awareness.
