In a Republic, lasting progress depends on the art of persuasion. To shape policy, politicians and activists must first convince the public that their ideas work. Yet with increasingly radical tactics — from <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/monkeywrenching-vandals-are-reinventing-climate-activism/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">vandalizing infrastructure</a> to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/arts/design/vandalizing-art-protests.html">defacing priceless works of art</a> — and open dismissal of the affordability challenges many Americans face, it’s little wonder the environmental movement has struggled to win hearts and minds.
Faced with soaring energy costs, a <a href="https://www.aei.org/articles/the-clean-energy-transitions-voter-problem/">2024 YouGov poll</a> found that 73% of voters ranked the price and availability of energy as their top concern. Rather than confronting this reality, radical environmental activists have abandoned persuasion in favor of reckless, unfounded lawsuits against American energy companies, actions that threaten not only our energy security but the very principles of fairness and accountability that our democracy depends on.
The trend is best illustrated by Greenpeace International’s so-called “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/greenpeace-files-suit-against-us-pipeline-company-energy-transfer-2025-02-11/">anti-SLAPP</a>” lawsuit against Energy Transfer, a U.S. pipeline company. Greenpeace filed the case in the Netherlands, even though Energy Transfer has no presence or infrastructure in the European Union, claiming the company tried to silence it through costly litigation in North Dakota. Earlier this year, a North Dakota jury found Greenpeace liable for defamation, property damage, and civil conspiracy over its actions during the 2016 and 2017 Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The jury even ordered Greenpeace to pay roughly <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/greenpeace-energy-transfer-lawsuit-verdict/">$660 million </a>in damages. Instead of accepting that verdict, Greenpeace is now taking the fight overseas in an apparent attempt to escape responsibility — an act of desperation mirrored by recent high-profile <a href="https://subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eenews/2025/10/16/greenpeaces-top-legal-staffers-exit-00611338">resignations</a> from its own legal team. 
Greenpeace is not alone. In September 2024, California’s attorney general and several environmental groups <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/climate/exxon-california-plastics-defamation-lawsuit.html">sued</a> ExxonMobil, accusing the company of contributing to environmental damage from single-use plastics. Yet ExxonMobil doesn’t manufacture single-use plastics and has <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/sustainability-and-reports/sustainability/meeting-societys-critical-needs-energy-products/expanding-the-plastics-life-cycle#Ourapproach">invested</a> heavily in recycling innovations to expand the kinds of plastics that can be reused. “Instead of suing us,” an Exxon representative <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/california-plastics-lawsuit-exxon/">said</a>, “they could have worked with us to fix the problem and keep plastic out of landfills. To date, we’ve processed more than 60 million pounds of plastic waste into usable raw materials.” Ignoring such cooperation and the vital role plastics play in healthcare and food safety, activists continue to favor publicity over practical solutions. 
These lawsuits come at a pivotal moment for America’s energy future. The AI revolution promises to drive economic growth and create new opportunities, but data centers powering that revolution demand historic levels of energy. The United States has the resources to meet this challenge, but if energy producers are buried in costly, politically motivated litigation, our ability to keep energy affordable and reliable will be at risk.
For all the rhetoric from environmental activists, it is American energy producers who have delivered the environmental progress that actually improved people’s lives. Affordable and reliable energy helped drive an almost 80% reduction in common air pollutants since the 1970s and made the United States the world leader in access to clean and safe drinking water. When the Safe Drinking Water Act was first implemented, more than one-third of public water systems failed to meet federal standards, as documented in the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-04/documents/epa816f04030.pdf">EPA’s historical overview of the Safe Drinking Water Act.</a> Early federal surveys summarized by the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL31243">Congressional Research Service</a> show that roughly 60% of systems were out of compliance in the 1970s. Today, more than 90% of water systems meet EPA’s strictest health-based requirements, according to the agency’s <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL31243">National Public Water Systems Compliance Report</a> and reviews by the <a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL31243">National Academies of Sciences</a>. These gains occurred while American oil and gas production set records. The lesson is simple: prosperity powered by abundant energy produces cleaner air and cleaner water, not political mandates or litigation campaigns.
These hard-won gains are exactly why the current wave of activist lawsuits is so destructive. Instead of building on America’s energy strengths, groups like Greenpeace are working to undermine the very industry that made this environmental progress possible.
When an organization found liable by a jury for defamation and property damage turns around and cries “SLAPP,” it risks undermining the very legal protections meant to safeguard legitimate free speech and activism. If every losing activist can hide behind these claims, true environmental advocacy becomes collateral damage.
Real progress will continue to come from harnessing America’s ingenuity to responsibly produce energy, without sacrificing prosperity, stability, or the rule of law. The path forward isn’t reckless litigation. It’s common sense and energy abundance.
* * *
The Honorable Jason Isaac is the Founder and CEO of the American Energy Institute, a trade organization that unapologetically champions free markets and American energy. Previously, he served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Environmental Activists Abandon Persuasion For Litigation

Court

Energy

Environmentalists

ExxonMobil

Greenpeace

Lawsuit

Oil and Gas

The Netherlands

A recent <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneHnhD7cM$">study</a> published in the academic journal Nature has been making headlines, claiming that if it were not for major oil and gas companies producing energy between 1991 and 2020, the world would be $28 trillion richer.
Study authors Christopher Callahan, a Stanford University postdoctoral scientist, and Justin Mankin, a Dartmouth College geography professor, authored the study, which was never peer-reviewed and uses a laughably absurd methodology developed by activists whose goal is to do the pseudo-science grunt work for climate change lawsuits against energy producers.
Single events <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/chapter/chapter-11/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneCyPoFvO$">cannot</a> be attributed to climate change. Nevertheless, the study goes far beyond the ridiculous in its attempt not only to pin blame solely on individual energy producers but to attach a specific dollar amount to each company. Using dubious assumptions and their unsound “end-to-end” methodology, the authors cooked up an implausible correlation between individual companies and singular weather events alleged to have been caused or exacerbated by global warming. The bogus conclusions are then broken up into specific price tags and assigned to various energy producers.
Chevron, for example, is accused of being responsible for “heat-related losses” totaling $3.6 trillion from 1991 to 2020. Damages assigned to ExxonMobil amounted to $1.91 trillion during the same period, while the tally for Saudi Aramco came to $2.05 trillion. Together, the study blames the world’s energy producers for $28 trillion in damages. It would be an understatement to say that neither the study, nor its underlying assumptions, nor its conclusions should be accorded any credibility.
Given the elaborate contortions necessary to arrive at the study’s obviously preconceived conclusions, one might wonder what the motivation was to concoct it in the first place. The authors leave an enormous clue in their acknowledgements, in which they lavish <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08751-3*Ack1__;Iw!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneHYs_i-c$">praise</a> upon individuals associated with the notorious law firm Sher Edling LLP for their help with the study. Sher Edling was created for the sole purpose of waging lawfare with the intent to financially destroy energy companies. While Sher Edling has worked with states and municipalities in initiating dozens of lawsuits attempting to set climate policy in courtrooms, none to date have been successful.
If just one of the firm’s lawsuits succeeds, it is expected to take up to a 30% chunk of an award estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Because the firm is <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/2024.10.07-Sher-Edling-Memo.pdf__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneMLb-kWH$">bankrolled</a> by millions of dollars in dark money funneled through far-Left organizations, its attacks are limitless — and so is its ability to buy studies supporting its conclusions and the fat payday they covet. Sher Edling has acknowledged commissioning made-for-litigation studies before. Named partner Vic Sher described working with scientist-for-hire Richard Heede during a 2017 talk at UCLA. That study, much like the new Nature research, purports to connect major energy providers with specific emissions activity.
A more honest study would have acknowledged the truly beneficial role that energy plays in our economy and everyday lives. We depend on fossil fuel energy for everything from the quality of our lives to our national security. It is so dependable that we rarely even consider that everything we eat, wear, buy, or sell depends on energy. It’s there to take us places and to cool and heat our homes. Smart devices, paint, asphalt, and plastic containers are just a few objects in our daily lives made from petroleum. The study would be more credible if it concluded the truth: that fossil fuels have contributed trillions of dollars in value and made human flourishing possible.
Several legacy news outlets — many of which <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/media-provide-no-scrutiny-study-claiming-oil-companies-made-world-28__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneDRJ0tH9$">accept funds from anti-fossil fuel advocacy organizations</a> to write about global warming — reported on the Nature study while failing to note its utterly discrediting connection to Sher Edling. As we move into the warmer summer weather, we can expect more such studies and uncritical news stories.
Studies lacking basic integrity like the one published in Nature are why President Trump’s recent executive order “<a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/05/restoring-gold-standard-science/__;!!PxibshUo2Yr_Ta5B!2LALwW8yKFqPNNaA4xXEG09tMo1LJOZHia3Jgm7nU6ZE2ryt10HNdFNWxTyNT2EeduoQsiTJDKD96FyneCG8TS0c$">Restoring Gold Standard Science</a>” is so timely and important. That standard holds that reproducibility, rigor, and unbiased peer review must be maintained. It demands that federal decisions be informed by only the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available. Absolutely nothing about the Nature study meets the gold standard of science.
* * *
The Honorable Jason Isaac is the Founder and CEO of the American Energy Institute, a trade organization that unapologetically champions free markets and American energy. Previously, he served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Senate Lawmakers Return To Capitol Hill After The Weekend

Made-For-Court Climate Study Completely Fails Science Gold Standard

Climate Change

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Oil companies

Opinion

ExxonMobil hosted a discriminatory internship opportunity that was only open to applicants of Hispanic descent, which experts say may violate federal civil rights law.
The program, called the “<a href="https://hispanicheritage.org/programs/workforce-development/exxonmobil-loft-fellowship-program/">Latinos On Fast Track</a>” fellowship, is held in conjunction with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation and gives applicants the chance to receive a $1,000 educational grant, interview for jobs and internships in a corporate environment, and learn from engineers and scientists in a mentorship program.
A list of requirements on <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/LOFT-ExxonMobil-Fellowship.pdf">the application</a> states that the “applicant must be of Hispanic descent,” barring would-be applicants who come from different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The organization <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hispanicheritage/p/ConAnDhMgmA/">previously referred</a> to the program as the &#8220;Latinx On Fast Track&#8221; fellowship, employing woke terminology that is intended to avoid the grammatically masculine word, &#8220;Latino.&#8221;
David Bernstein, a professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, told The Daily Wire that ExxonMobil&#8217;s program could run afoul of federal law.
“Given that it has employment consequences (possibility of job interview), it likely violates Title VII, and it also likely violates the 1866 Civil Rights Act, also known as Section 198.”
The ExxonMobil fellowship program is one of several job and internship opportunities at major companies that feature discriminatory selection criteria. Companies across industries, from tech to finance and beyond, have implemented the discriminatory programs as part of a broader diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda that could now come under fire from the Trump administration.
Several companies have hosted internship and fellowship programs that impose race-based selection criteria, as an ongoing Daily Wire investigative series reveals.
Oracle and IBM, two giants of the tech industry, both hosted internship opportunities that barred whites and Asians from applying. Another program from IBM barred male applicants, unless those men identified as women.
Robert Kraft’s company, best known for owning the New England Patriots, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-england-patriots-owner-under-fire-for-discriminatory-bipoc-job-requirement">advertised a job posting</a> that listed “BIPOC,” a term that means “black, indigenous, people of color,” as a job qualification.
McKinsey and Company hosted professional development trainings for black, Hispanic, and Asian professionals, with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/major-bank-pharmaceutical-giant-participated-in-mckinsey-training-that-banned-white-people">no option</a> for whites. Many of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americas-top-banks-host-programs-that-discriminate-against-white-and-asian-men">most prominent banks</a> in the country have also hosted internships and professional development opportunities that appear to engage in anti-white discrimination.
Companies that have hosted discriminatory DEI programs could be in the hot seat after Trump’s inauguration.
David Pivtorak, a lawyer who has active cases <a href="https://www.piv4law.com/new-blog/2022/8/23/former-american-express-employee-files-nationwide-discrimination-class-action">against</a> American Express for <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/amex-pushed-white-employees-promoted-black-colleagues-meet-racial-quotas-lawsuit-alleges">alleged racial discrimination</a> against white employees, explained that the Department of Justice “has a panoply of remedies it can seek to address the discrimination that results from these DEI programs.”
Among these remedies are lawsuits, depositions of any executives involved in discriminatory DEI policies, and launching investigations to obtain “a wide variety of a company’s internal data and documents.”
The Justice Department could also issue a &#8220;consent decree,&#8221; which would allow it to “oversee a company’s operations for years to come,” a measure that Pivtorak says “has an extreme coercive effect.”
This, the lawyer says, could compel companies to drop the DEI agenda altogether.
“From a cost-benefit perspective, companies may decide that the hassle of maintaining DEI is just not worth it, especially since these are not profitable endeavors but are mostly there to keep a small contingent of vocal activists satisfied.”
Neither ExxonMobil nor the Hispanic Heritage Foundation responded to a request for comment.

ExxonMobil Hosts Discriminatory Internship Open Only To Hispanic Applicants

Diversity

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

David Bahnsen, the founder and chief investment officer of The Bahnsen Group, will prompt <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/exxonmobil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ExxonMobil</a> at the company’s annual shareholder meeting to fully embrace the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/oil-and-gas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fossil fuel</a> sector and disregard activists who push for <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decarbonization</a>.
The oil and gas behemoth’s annual meeting on Wednesday will feature a number of shareholder <a href="https://d1io3yog0oux5.cloudfront.net/_d1e4ab5f254a314903d16c85853eb81c/exxonmobil/db/2301/22049/proxy_statement/2023-Proxy-Statement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolutions</a> that urge the company to report carbon emissions, pursue net zero emissions within the next few decades, or otherwise pivot away from primary business interests. Another resolution submitted by Bahnsen would ask the firm to establish a “Board Committee on Decarbonization Risk” to evaluate “responses to calls for ExxonMobil decarbonization on activist-established timelines” and detail possible impacts if such policies are pursued.
“Claims about the need for decarbonization at all, but especially by some activist-generated date certain, are based on a long series of assumptions that are either counterfactual or insufficiently examined,” the supporting statement for the resolution remarks. “If decarbonization is neither required nor technologically feasible, ExxonMobil will lose significant markets and revenues to private equity firms and less clean-producing state actors, thus harming shareholders while also harming the environment.”
Opponents of a managed transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wall-street-journal-blasts-joe-biden-john-kerry-for-pushing-self-destructive-green-energy-policies-while-china-burns-more-coal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that increased carbon emissions from China, as well as India and other developing countries, are outpacing emissions declines in the West. “ExxonMobil’s decarbonization will be meaningless if other countries do not follow the same decarbonization schedules, and there is abundant evidence that they will not,” the resolution from Bahnsen added.
Bahnsen said his intention is to remove politics from the company rather than advance separate political goals within the firm. “I do not use my influence as an investor to pull companies into various political or social causes, as is often done with these shareholder resolutions,” he commented. “I come here as a friend, not a critic, and I invite the company to do something which shareholder activists never do: to defend the business that you as a company are in. I believe that oil and gas resources have vastly increased the standard of living for the human race, and that our company has been part of that.”
ExxonMobil is a frequent target of the environmental, social, and corporate governance movement, also known as ESG, proponents of which contend that corporate power should be leveraged to achieve certain social goals. Skeptics of the movement say the philosophy risks distracting from or subverting obligations to maximize profits.
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Even as a considerable number of investors support executives using financial power to achieve certain objectives, a clear majority would prefer political neutrality and the sole emphasis on profits, according to an exclusive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">poll</a> from The Daily Wire released last year. Bahnsen said the “silent majority” of shareholders would appreciate efforts from ExxonMobil to clarify the risks associated with decarbonization.
Bahnsen filed another shareholder resolution at JPMorgan Chase earlier this month after the company moved to end <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hedge-fund-manager-will-confront-jpmorgan-chase-shareholders-on-moves-to-de-bank-conservative-and-religious-groups" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ties</a> with several entities with conservative or religious objectives. The investment bank filed a <a href="https://adfmedia.org/press-release/jpmorgan-chase-loses-sec-challenge-must-allow-shareholders-consider-viewpoint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">motion</a> with the Securities and Exchange Commission earlier this year to exclude the resolution from the shareholder ballot, a move which the agency rejected.

Exxon Mobil

Portfolio Manager Will Encourage Major Oil Company To Ignore Activists, Embrace Fossil Fuel Sector

Portfolio Manager Will Encourage ExxonMobil To Ignore Activists, Embrace Fossil Fuels

Business

Social Issues

Strive Asset Management revealed a plan Tuesday to spurn risks presented to the shareholders of ExxonMobil, Chevron, and Home Depot by the environmental, social, and governance movement, also known as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/esg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESG</a>.
The series of actions, first shared with The Daily Wire, will be executed next year to prevent the companies from “prioritizing ESG over excellence,” according to a press release from Strive, which believes that its “greatest opportunity to influence positive outcomes for shareholders” through resolutions exists at the three firms.
Strive Executive Chairman Vivek Ramaswamy sent a letter to ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods last month suggesting the addition of a “suitable director to your board ahead of preparations for next spring’s proxy voting season.” After a meeting between Ramaswamy and Woods, ExxonMobil <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/newsroom/news-releases/2022/1202_exxonmobil-elects-larry-kellner-and-john-harris-to-board-of-directors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appointed</a> two new board directors.
Exxon enacted a shareholder resolution in January committing the oil company to pursue <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/news/newsroom/news-releases/2022/0118_exxonmobil-announces-ambition-for-net-zero-greenhouse-gas-emissions-by-2050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">net zero emissions</a> by the year 2050. Last year, a small ESG activist investment firm controlling 0.02% of shares in ExxonMobil <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/activist-investors-are-seizing-companies-to-push-social-justice-measures" target="_blank" rel="noopener">won</a> three board seats with the help of asset managers BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street.
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“While climate change is one of many factors that may influence decision-making at Exxon, we are concerned that singularly focusing on this risk factor at the expense of other considerations creates new long-run risks,” Ramaswamy wrote to Woods, “including the very real risk of underinvesting in fossil fuels to match global demand.”
With respect to Chevron, Strive will introduce a proposal that would reverse Scope 3 <a href="https://www.chevron.com/newsroom/2021/q4/chevron-sets-net-zero-aspiration-and-new-ghg-intensity-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emissions reduction benchmarks</a> enacted last year via shareholder resolution. The benchmarks, which were supported by BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, would <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scope-3-inventory-guidance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require</a> the company to reduce fossil fuel usage among entities in the Chevron value chain.
Strive also co-authored a shareholder resolution for Home Depot that would undo an earlier proposal supported by BlackRock and Capital Group to conduct a “racial equity audit.” Strive contends that all hiring at the home improvement retailer “should be based exclusively on merit, without regard to social considerations which may raise legal liabilities for the company.”
The fund will launch proxy campaigns or additional shareholder resolutions in the spring if the latter two proposals do not “effectuate positive change.”
Strive was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-want-companies-to-stay-out-of-politics-ceo-launches-fund-to-take-on-woke-asset-managers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">launched</a> earlier this year with the intention of pushing portfolio companies to maximize profits instead of advancing social and political causes favored by executives. PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel and Pershing Square Capital Management Chief Executive Bill Ackman were among the company’s first financial backers.
Critics of the ESG movement say that proponents blend activism with profitability in a manner that harms shareholders through lower returns. Though there are a considerable number of investors who support executives using financial power to achieve certain social objectives, a clear majority of investors would prefer political neutrality and the sole maximization of profits, according to an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/poll-by-two-to-one-margin-investors-reject-woke-companies-pushing-political-causes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exclusive poll</a> from The Daily Wire released earlier this year.
Ramaswamy, a former biopharmaceutical entrepreneur, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/entrepreneur-behind-anti-woke-asset-management-fund-celebrates-blackrock-ending-support-for-certain-climate-change-proposals-that-micromanage-its-portfolio-companies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">repeatedly criticized</a> BlackRock and other rival asset managers for compelling portfolio companies into adopting left-wing agendas unrelated or antithetical to their bottom lines. The founding of Strive occurred as multiple conservative-leaning states began implementing measures to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-pulling-2-billion-from-blackrock-as-company-pushes-social-engineering-with-taxpayer-dollars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">divest</a> from BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street.

Key Speakers At Conservative Political Action Conference

Vivek Ramaswamy’s Strive Asset Management To Uproot ESG Moves At Three Major Companies

Asset Management Firm Unveils Moves To Save Three Companies At Risk Of ‘Prioritizing ESG Over Excellence’

BlackRock

Home Depot

Vivek Ramaswamy

Wokeness

Two major U.S. oil companies hit back at President Joe Biden this week after he threatened to use &#8220;emergency authorities&#8221; on them to stem the political fallout from the historic gas prices that have erupted under his administration.
Biden&#8217;s threat was contained in a letter that he sent to ExxonMobil, Phillips 66, Chevron, BP, Shell, Marathon Petroleum Corp, and Valero Energy Corp.
&#8220;There is no question that Vladimir Putin is principally responsible for the intense financial pain the American people and their families are bearing,&#8221; Biden claimed, failing to mention that gas prices were already surging before Russia invaded Ukraine. &#8220;But amid a war that has raised gasoline prices more than $1.70 per gallon, historically high refinery profit margins are worsening that pain.&#8221;
Biden demanded that the companies &#8220;take immediate actions to increase the supply of gasoline, diesel and other refined product you are producing,&#8221; he said in the letter. &#8220;Unfortunately, what we have seen since January 2021 are policies that send a message that the Administration aims to impose obstacles to our industry delivering energy resources the world needs.&#8221;
ExxonMobil responded by saying that they have been in &#8220;regular contact with the administration&#8221; to remind them of the extraordinary efforts the company has made in investing in energy production, which they say are more &#8220;than any other company.&#8221;
&#8220;In the short term, the U.S. government could enact measures often used in emergencies following hurricanes or other supply disruptions &#8212; such as waivers of Jones Act provisions and some fuel specifications to increase supplies,&#8221; the company said. &#8220;Longer term, government can promote investment through clear and consistent policy that supports U.S. resource development, such as regular and predictable lease sales, as well as streamlined regulatory approval and support for infrastructure such as pipelines.&#8221;
Chevron slammed the administration in response to Biden&#8217;s letter, writing: &#8220;Unfortunately, what we have seen since January 2021 are policies that send a message that the Administration aims to impose obstacles to our industry delivering energy resources the world needs.&#8221;

TOPSHOT-US-POLITICS-BIDEN-AFL-CIO

Oil Companies Level Biden After He Threatens The Industry

Exxon And Chevron Respond To Biden After He Threatens To Invoke ’Emergency Authorities’

Biden Administration

Gas Prices

Gasoline

Joe Biden

President <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration">Joe Biden</a> blamed high <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gas-prices">gas prices</a> on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/exxonmobil">ExxonMobil</a> during Friday afternoon remarks on record-breaking <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation">inflation</a>.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/inflation-reaches-8-6-setting-new-four-decade-high">rose</a> 8.6% between May 2021 and May 2022 — indicating that inflation reached its highest level in four decades, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, gas prices <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gas-prices-hit-grim-national-average-of-5-per-gallon">reached</a> $5 per gallon on Thursday.
Following a speech about the dismal economic news, a reporter pressed Biden to comment on whether he would “go after” the profits of oil company ExxonMobil.
“Exxon made more money than God this year,” Biden remarked. “And by the way, nothing has changed. … We talk about how they have 9,000 permits to drill. They&#8217;re not drilling. Why aren&#8217;t they drilling? Because they make more money not producing more oil.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
President Biden threatens oil companies, blaming them for the sky-high gas prices because they want to continue making &quot;more money than God this year.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/MfnUh0oPeM">pic.twitter.com/MfnUh0oPeM</a>
&mdash; Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) <a href="https://twitter.com/CurtisHouck/status/1535324343797948416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“The reason they&#8217;re not drilling is they&#8217;re buying back their own stock — which should be taxed, quite frankly,” Biden added. “I always thought Republicans were for investment. Exxon — start investing, start paying your taxes.”
Indeed, ExxonMobil reported $5.5 billion in profits during the <a href="https://corporate.exxonmobil.com/News/Newsroom/News-releases/2022/0429_ExxonMobil-announces-first-quarter-2022-results">first quarter of 2022</a>, despite taking a $3.4 billion <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/29/energy/oil-earnings/index.html">hit</a> amid its exit from Russia. During the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exxon-post-best-results-seven-years-oil-prices-2022-02-01/">fourth quarter of 2021</a>, ExxonMobil reported an $8.87 billion profit — its largest in <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/XOM/exxon/revenue">seven years</a>.
Republicans, however, noted last month in a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo that the White House has been <a href="https://www.cruz.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cruz-senators-demand-commerce-secretary-stop-permitting-delays-on-existing-oil-and-gas-leases-to-boost-production">maintaining</a> a “de facto ban on new drilling” by “sitting idle on over 9,000 drilling permits” and millions of acres of inactive leases.
On the day of Biden’s inauguration, gas cost $2.39 per gallon — a figure that doubled to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-cost-of-gas-has-more-than-doubled-since-the-day-biden-took-office">$4.82</a> last week before reaching $5 on Thursday. On February 21, 2022 — three days before the start of the Ukraine war — gas cost <a href="https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=PET&amp;s=EMM_EPMR_PTE_NUS_DPG&amp;f=W">$3.53 per gallon</a>, representing a 48% increase from Biden’s first day in office.
Nevertheless, a statement from President Biden characterized Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as the main factor behind the higher prices.
“Putin’s Price Hike hit hard in May here and around the world: high gas prices at the pump, energy, and food prices accounted for around half of the monthly price increases, and gas pump prices are up by $2 a gallon in many places since Russian troops began to threaten Ukraine,” Biden argued. “Even as we continue our work to defend freedom in Ukraine, we must do more — and quickly — to get prices down here in the United States.”
The White House also faced criticism for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/peter-doocy-asks-for-a-straight-answer-on-keystone-gets-the-runaround-from-jen-psaki">nixing</a> expansions to the Keystone XL Pipeline last year. More recently, former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki revealed that the Biden administration had “no plans” to reconsider opening pipeline construction.
However, the White House has argued that high gas prices will help the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-slammed-for-remarks-on-enormously-high-gas-prices-theyre-saying-the-quiet-part-out-loud-now">transition</a> more quickly to renewable energy.
“Here’s the situation,” Biden said last month. “And when it comes to the gas prices, we’re going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when it’s over, we’ll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over.”

President Biden Delivers Remarks On The Battleship Iowa In Los Angeles Harbor

Biden Says Exxon ‘Made More Money Than God This Year,’ Blames Them For Gas Price Spike

Biden: Exxon Mobil 'Made More Money Than Gods

Inflation

Conservative leaders are hailing ExxonMobil&#8217;s decision to ban flags representing political causes from company flagpoles while claiming that Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) deserves credit for helping to shift the relationship between the GOP and big business.
On Friday, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/22/business/exxon-pride-flag.html">reported</a> that Exxon employees will only be allowed to fly government flags and those representing the company&#8217;s internal employee resource groups on company property — if approved by company executives. If individuals want to express political affiliation in other ways — such as displaying an LGBT rainbow banner — they must do so elsewhere on the company grounds.
&#8220;Companies like ExxonMobil should be applauded for standing up to the woke mob, both within their own ranks and without,&#8221; Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Wire.
&#8220;Imagine if U.S. corporations focused more on providing low-cost, high-quality goods and jobs for Americans instead of devoting so much time to woke nonsense.&#8221;
While many conservatives are praising the move, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-22/exxon-triggers-employee-backlash-with-rainbow-pride-flag-ban">reported</a> that Tracey Gunnlaugsson, Exxon&#8217;s vice president of human resources, said the new policy was in no way meant to diminish the company&#8217;s support for &#8220;diversity.&#8221;
“The updated flag protocol is intended to clarify the use of the ExxonMobil branded company flag and not intended to diminish our commitment to diversity and support for employee resource groups,” Gunnlaugsson <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-22/exxon-triggers-employee-backlash-with-rainbow-pride-flag-ban">told</a> Bloomberg. “We’re committed to keeping an open, honest, and inclusive workplace for all of our employees, and we’re saddened that any employee would think otherwise.”
Exxon&#8217;s ban came as DeSantis was working to revoke Walt Disney World&#8217;s special tax privileges in response to their opposition to the Sunshine State&#8217;s Parental Rights in Education law, leading some to speculate that other corporations will slowly weed out wokeism if Republicans combat it via legislation.
&#8220;Corporations respond to power,&#8221; American Principles Project policy director Jon Schweppe told The Daily Wire in reaction to Exxon&#8217;s decision.
As Schweppe explained, historically, corporations have recognized &#8220;that Democrats are willing to use state power against them, so they try to placate them with woke platitudes and virtue signals.&#8221;
On the other hand, &#8220;Republicans are a dependable, cheap date — they can always be counted on to defend the interests of corporations — and so corporations feel free to oppose Republicans on various issues without fear of reprisal,&#8221; he added.
The solution to stopping such activity is for Republicans to affect how corporations view the Republican Party, Schweppe explained.
&#8220;If we want to stop the woke capital phenomenon, we have to change this dynamic,&#8221; Schweppe added.
According to Schweppe, DeSantis understands that necessity.
&#8220;Once we are willing to say, &#8216;Hey, if you screw us, we&#8217;re going to screw you back&#8217; — once Republicans are seen as a legitimate threat to the power of these companies — then we&#8217;ll start to see a lot more neutrality,&#8221; Schweppe predicted.
Roberts also noted similar observations in a statement to The Daily Wire.
“These corporations need to understand a couple of things,&#8221; Roberts said. &#8220;First, they do not get to set the policy agenda in this country, nor do they get to subvert the will of the people through their leaders. This shameful behavior show that this impulse to corporate totalitarianism must be defeated.&#8221;
&#8220;Second, the era of special treatment of big business needs to end,&#8221; Roberts added. &#8220;Fundamentally, that’s what Florida’s move is all about. And it’s the right one. &#8220;
“And make no mistake, what Governor DeSantis has done in Florida to end Disney’s special tax breaks will reverberate throughout corporate America for some time to come,&#8221; Roberts added.
Roberts told The Daily Wire that American consumers are tired of corporations turning a blind eye to human rights abuses around the world while taking action against cultural conservatives in America.
&#8220;Americans are tired of woke corporations not just getting involved in politics, but making everything political,&#8221; Roberts observed. &#8220;They see the rampant double standards of companies like Disney, who threatened to pull operations out of Georgia over a recent pro-life measure, while doubling down on filming in Xinjiang and expanding operations in China.&#8221;
In March, Disney released a statement saying they were going to dedicate resources to stopping the Parental Rights in Education law, the state&#8217;s new law that limits instruction on gender ideology in public schools while increasing curriculum transparency for parents. (Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for kids entertainment content.)
DeSantis slammed the company publicly for intruding on the legislative process.
&#8220;For Disney to come out and put a statement and say that the bill should have never passed and they are going to actively work to repeal it — I think, one, was fundamentally dishonest. But two, I think that crossed the line,&#8221; DeSantis <a href="https://insidethemagic.net/2022/03/gov-desantis-slams-disney-new-bill-ld1/">said</a> at the time.
&#8220;This state is governed by the interests of the people of the state of Florida. It is not based on the demands of California corporate executives. They do not run this state. They do not control this state,&#8221; he added.
Now, the Florida governor has followed through on those comments by revoking the special treatment of Disney. For Roberts, DeSantis&#8217; actions represent a path forward for conservative colleagues around the country.
&#8220;I encourage other governors and state legislatures to follow Florida’s courageous lead, and remind corporations that we set the agenda, not them,&#8221; Roberts remarked.
Russ Vought, former Trump White House Office of Management and Budget director, was similarly optimistic in response to Exxon&#8217;s updated flag policy, but cautioned that there is plenty of work for the right to do to rid wokeness from big business.
&#8220;It&#8217;s welcome news and a sign that we&#8217;re having an impact on corporations that have been unceasingly woke,&#8221; Vought told The Daily Wire. &#8220;But this is just the beginning of what is needed to ensure that corporate America is no longer the distribution channel and enforcement mechanism for far-left ideologies.&#8221;
(Disclosure: The Daily Wire has announced plans for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">kids entertainment content</a>.)

Rainbow Flag

‘The Era Of Special Treatment Of Big Business Needs To End’: Conservative Leaders React To ExxonMobil’s Activist Flag Ban

Disney

Florida

Ron DeSantis

A massive explosion and fire occurred at one of the nation&#8217;s largest ExxonMobil refineries in Baytown, Texas, early Thursday morning, sending several workers to a local hospital.
The incident occurred around 1 a.m. local time, according to a statement from ExxonMobil.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Around 1 a.m. on 12/23/2021, a fire occurred at our facility. At this time, emergency vehicles and smoke may be noticeable to the community. We are coordinating with local officials, and working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
— ExxonMobil Baytown Area (@ExxonMobilBTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExxonMobilBTA/status/1473929102126108681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said LifeFlight responded to reports of injuries immediately following the explosion.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Information is preliminary at this time: initial reports indicated some type of explosion occurred inside the plant. LifeFlight is responding. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/RprFg7P89t">https://t.co/RprFg7P89t</a>
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1473935897796173825?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
&#8220;For now, no reports to evacuate or shelter-in-place. Four persons may be injured; three taken by Lifeflight and one by ambulance,&#8221; Gonzalez later noted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
For now, no reports to evacuate or shelter-in-place. Four persons may be injured; three taken by Lifeflight and one by ambulance. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HouNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HouNews</a> <a href="https://t.co/4xE2OIRxpy">https://t.co/4xE2OIRxpy</a>
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) <a href="https://twitter.com/SheriffEd_HCSO/status/1473939738419732481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
Local law enforcement later announced four confirmed injuries. Three individuals at the refinery were transported by helicopter. One additional person was taken to a local hospital by ambulance. No deaths were reported in the incident.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
There have been 4 confirmed injuries, 3 of which were life flighted and 1 was taken to the hospital via ambulance. No fatalities have been reported. There is currently no shelter in place.
— HCSOTexas (@HCSOTexas) <a href="https://twitter.com/HCSOTexas/status/1473958922038005763?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
As of late Thursday morning, ExxonMobil reported response teams continued to fight against the fire, but that no shelter in place or evacuations have been required. The cause of the incident has not yet been revealed.
The company&#8217;s statement said:
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
<blockquote>A fire has occurred at the Baytown Refinery.  Our fire teams are working to extinguish the fire. We are conducting personnel accounting. </blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote>
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
Our first priority remains the safety of people, including our employees, contractors and the surrounding community. 
</div>
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
 As a precaution, we are beginning to conduct air quality monitoring at the site and fence line. 
</div>
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
We are cooperating with regulatory agencies.
</div>
</blockquote>
<div class="article__section article__section_type_text utility__text">
<blockquote>We deeply regret any disruption or inconvenience that this incident may have caused the community.</blockquote>
</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://t.co/GE8zclZHeW">pic.twitter.com/GE8zclZHeW</a>
— ExxonMobil Baytown Area (@ExxonMobilBTA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExxonMobilBTA/status/1473993738817056771?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>
“The Baytown plant houses a chemical plant, an olefins plant, and the country&#8217;s fourth biggest oil refinery, with capacity to process 560,500 barrels per day of crude,&#8221; according to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/some-injuries-after-fire-exxons-baytown-texas-facility-2021-12-23/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a> report.
&#8220;The fire occurred in a hydrotreater unit at the oil refinery that was shut on Wednesday due to a bypass line leak, sources familiar with plant operations said, adding that those injured were contractors who had been repairing the leak,&#8221; the report added: Local <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/baytown-exxon-mobil-fire/285-028ba726-525e-4aff-97b2-8fb7c9bbf06f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KHOU-TV</a> reported, &#8220;ExxonMobil’s Baytown facility sits on around 3,400 acres along the Houston Ship Channel. It has four manufacturing sites. According to the company’s website, there are around 7,000 employees.&#8221;
Video footage from the network is available below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE | According to <a href="https://twitter.com/ExxonMobilBTA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ExxonMobilBTA</a>, four people were injured in an early morning fire at their Baytown refinery. <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamBennettKHOU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AdamBennettKHOU</a> is covering this story for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KHOU11?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KHOU11</a> this morning. Here&#8217;s what we know: <a href="https://t.co/yDEaEwHRi5">https://t.co/yDEaEwHRi5</a> <a href="https://t.co/j7jd9Mgt8e">pic.twitter.com/j7jd9Mgt8e</a>
— KHOU 11 News Houston (@KHOU) <a href="https://twitter.com/KHOU/status/1473970140207276043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 23, 2021</a></blockquote>

Exxon refinery

Video: Massive ‘Explosion’ At Texas ExxonMobil Refinery Injures Several

Texas

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