All Posts from July, 2010
Why excessive taxes on so-called “big oil” are a big mistake
We announced our second quarter earnings yesterday, and afterward I talked with some reporters not only about our financial performance, but also about some of the key policy issues affecting our industry. The main item of discussion concerned current tax proposals that could be seriously damaging both to the U.S. oil and gas industry and the economy in general.
The next generation of women leaders
For the past several weeks, 26 women leaders from around the world have been in Washington, D.C., taking part in the Global Women in Management Program put on by the Centre for Development and Population Activities and supported by ExxonMobil. At first glance, a program like this appears to have nothing to do with the oil and gas industry. But in many of the countries where we work, there can be substantial challenges in regard to economic and social development.
A conspiracy theory missing the facts
On Monday, the London Times published a story that had all the elements of a good conspiracy — except for the facts. In a front-page story with the alarmist headline “Oil giant gave £1 million to fund climate skeptics,” they repeated the tired theory that ExxonMobil is funding climate change skeptics, implying that we are at the hub of a vast global conspiracy. The basis for this claim? Our support for a list of organizations that the reporter chose to omit from the story.
“Masters” in math and science
This week, we welcomed 200 elementary school teachers from around the country to the 2010 national Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy. We created this program in partnership with PGA golfer Phil Mickelson and his wife, Amy, to help teachers inspire student interest in math and science and help make U.S. students more competitive internationally.
A new safety system for the Gulf
Today, we announced a new rapid-response oil containment system that ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and Shell plan to build for the Gulf of Mexico. The system – involving a $1 billion initial commitment from the sponsor companies — is unprecedented in our industry. It will provide pre-engineered, constructed, and tested containment technology and equipment to be deployed within 24 hours of a spill in the Gulf.
The next phase of algae biofuels
When we made the announcement last year that we had teamed with Synthetic Genomics Inc. to research biofuels from algae, we raised a lot of eyebrows. Many applauded our investment. Some were skeptical about our commitment. One year has passed, and I’m excited to say we’re entering the next phase of our program. Today, we announced the opening of a new state-of-the art greenhouse facility at the SGI headquarters in La Jolla, Calif.
