Friday, February 02, 2007

Exxon has record profits, little environmental responsibility.

I know that not many want to talk about this subject, but don’t you think Exxon’s 39.5 billion dollars of profits for the year 2006 was pretty scandalous considering what is going on in the world today? They topped their own record for a U. S. A. company of 36.13 billion dollars of profit from 2005. And we consumers just whine and keep paying at the pump.Exxon Mobil breaks its own record for U.S. annual profit

One part that really bugs me about this subject is they still have not taken total responsibility for the clean up around the Prince William Sound, Alaska and in fact had the judgment against them cut in half a few months ago! Exxon gets Valdez oil spill damage award slashed in half - Dec. 22, 2006

And now we have new reports on the long term damage in Alaska being documented. Exxon Valdez oil lingers along Alaska - Environment - MSNBC.com

How do Exxon and other corporations get away with this? Has public apathy blinded our judgment of corporate wrongdoing?

5 comments:

Joel Mielke said...

The record profits are easy to account for. Higher prices make higher profits possible.

I keep seeing new trucks and SUVs all over town, so I assume that the price of gas is not a problem, and credit for new vehicle purchases seems to be endless.

Anonymous said...

Hey Baby Brother - call your big sis in Sactown. LUV you.

samoasoftball said...

I would think this topic would hit people locally, but looks like I was wrong. Yes Carson, I see what you are saying, but I do not see the local economy supporting the theory. Guess I will have to talk to a car salesman and see what is going on at the local dealerships. One of my best friends, who is well off locally, bought a Honda hybrid.

Anonymous said...

It should hit locally and nationally more than it does. With the vast majority of middle and lower income American wages remaining stagnant, higher energy prices are only ONE of the economic factors taking a bite out of these folk's financial well being. This is pretty evident with the recent statistics showing that the same group mentioned above (I.E., the vast majority of us) has seen a negative savings rate for the second year in a row. There has been nothing like this since the pinnacle of the Great Depression in the 1930's. Sadly, easy credit seems to always be just around the corner for anything and everything that our hearts desire. Yes, including those fuel guzzeling $40,000 trucks and SUVs.

Afterall, why beleive your own bank account when you can turn the TV on and be saturated with all of the feel good rhetoric about our "booming" economy. If the cable TV talking head pundit tells me that we're doing great, then it must be true right?
Sadly, it may just take another economic depression to wake people up. Or, at least until fuel prices hit $5.00 a gallon, and the repo man comes to take back the new Suburban.

samoasoftball said...

You would think that there is some concerted effort consumers could pull off to see if we could publicall force Exxon to listen to gas users. Any ideas. We need a brainstorming session.