Can the oil companies do anything wrong?

[Fencer128]

From reading a lot of the recent threads concerning oil companies, I feel like whatever they decide to do - a lot of people find a reason to support it. Its kind of like "they can do no wrong". Can anyone who currently thinks that the oil companies are heading in the right direction with regards to opening up new drilling sites, % investment in alternative energy, etc. give me any negative points about what oil companies are up to. I guess I want to feel like all the above is true and not what people want to believe - and the way to test that is to see what criticism there is - as nothing and no-one is perfect.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Fencer128]

Anyone?

 

Since the first oil well was bored in Titusville, PA (Edwin Drake if I remember correctly), the oil companies have done nothing right.
They are gross polluters of our air, sea and land, they buy their way through our government and the only thing that motivates them is money.

That is all

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Roger
Since the first oil well was bored in Titusville, PA (Edwin Drake if I remember correctly), the oil companies have done nothing right.
They are gross polluters of our air, sea and land, they buy their way through our government and the only thing that motivates them is money.

That is all

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: Roger
Since the first oil well was bored in Titusville, PA (If I remember correctly), the oil companies have done nothing right.
They are gross polluters of our air, sea and land, they buy their way through our government and the only thing that motivates them is money.

That is all

Thanks for your views. Is there anyone out there who thinks the oil copmpanies are doing a splendid job? If so, what criticisms can you lay at them? There must be something they can improve on/they are doing wrong (read my first post to see where I'm going with this)>

Cheers,

Andy

 

[etech]

I'm not sure where you are trying to go. Can you clarify it a little more?

No company or industry is perfect, that's a given. So where are you going?

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: etech
I'm not sure where you are trying to go. Can you clarify it a little more?

No company or industry is perfect, that's a given. So where are you going?

What I'm trying to decide is whether people are too quick to endorse the actions of the oil companies. Whether they have really thought about it - or whether the need for oil has ingrained the fact that "everything is a necessary evil" when it comes to oil.

I thought the best way to do this is to see what criticisms could be levelled at the oil companies by those who support their actions the most. As you say, no-one's perfect.

Cheers,

Andy

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

I don't understand how people can be so non-critical about big companies in general. They see consumers as nothing more than a source of revenue, and they do whatever they can get away with to extract that revenue. Cut every corner, fudge every ethical boundary, sidestep every regulation, and buy off every politician they can. It's truely an 'us' vs. 'them' situation, and people seem to be willing to give 'them' inch after inch, and end up taking it in their wallet (or worse, their health/body) for their trouble.

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: Fencer128

Originally posted by: etech
I'm not sure where you are trying to go. Can you clarify it a little more?

No company or industry is perfect, that's a given. So where are you going?

What I'm trying to decide is whether people are too quick to endorse the actions of the oil companies. Whether they have really thought about it - or whether the need for oil has ingrained the fact that "everything is a necessary evil" when it comes to oil.

I thought the best way to do this is to see what criticisms could be levelled at the oil companies by those who support their actions the most. As you say, no-one's perfect.

Cheers,

Andy

What actions are you referring to?

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: etech
I'm not sure where you are trying to go. Can you clarify it a little more?

No company or industry is perfect, that's a given. So where are you going?

he just wants to vilify large corporations, in this particular case, the oil companies

you are correct sir, all oil companies should be immediately shut down, they are all good for nothing and are responsible for all evilness in the world

nobody needs their products, they really aren't useful at all

the products the oil companies sell aren't needed and worthless, we would all be better off living in caves and eating dirt

thank you very much and have a nice day!

 

[Dragnov]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Roger
Since the first oil well was bored in Titusville, PA (Edwin Drake if I remember correctly), the oil companies have done nothing right.
They are gross polluters of our air, sea and land, they buy their way through our government and the only thing that motivates them is money.

That is all

Couldn't have said it better myself.

What major industry doesn't buy their way through the government?

And how come people continue to use thier products? I mean, no one buys a car that gets high mpg because "I don't like polluting the air", it's because we want to save money.

I haven't seen anyone make significant steps in trying to avoid suporting the evil oil companies and try avoiding pollution. It seems like everyone just likes to b1tch and moan.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Roger
Since the first oil well was bored in Titusville, PA (Edwin Drake if I remember correctly), the oil companies have done nothing right.
They are gross polluters of our air, sea and land, they buy their way through our government and the only thing that motivates them is money.

That is all

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I second that also.

 

I haven't seen anyone make significant steps in trying to avoid suporting the evil oil companies and try avoiding pollution. It seems like everyone just likes to b1tch and moan.

Build a Hydrogen pumping station near my home, then I will wean myself off oil.

 

[UltraQuiet]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian
I don't understand how people can be so non-critical about big companies in general. They see consumers as nothing more than a source of revenue, and they do whatever they can get away with to extract that revenue. Cut every corner, fudge every ethical boundary, sidestep every regulation, and buy off every politician they can. It's truely an 'us' vs. 'them' situation, and people seem to be willing to give 'them' inch after inch, and end up taking it in their wallet (or worse, their health/body) for their trouble.

My problem with your argument is that you want to blame a corporation when it is not the corp. that should be blamed. Corporations are not some sort of "evil entities". The people running them are the ones that are fscked up. Were companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Tyco, et al responsible for all the BS that went on? Of course not, it was the assholes that were running them. The stupidest thing that the justice department and SEC ever did was to fine and prosecute corporations instead of individuals. Many innocent people were hurt by that.


Back on topic --- I have said here many times that I think "big oil" is missing the boat on developing alternative fuels. They obviously have the money and resources to take the lead in this area. They could develop and to some extent control the technology ensuring themselves profitability and longevity. I think they are being very short-sighted.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer
...Of course not, it was the assholes that were running them.

thank you , Dave

corps aren't evil, its the evil people doing evil things that are the problem

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian
I don't understand how people can be so non-critical about big companies in general. They see consumers as nothing more than a source of revenue, and they do whatever they can get away with to extract that revenue. Cut every corner, fudge every ethical boundary, sidestep every regulation, and buy off every politician they can. It's truely an 'us' vs. 'them' situation, and people seem to be willing to give 'them' inch after inch, and end up taking it in their wallet (or worse, their health/body) for their trouble.

My problem with your argument is that you want to blame a corporation when it is not the corp. that should be blamed. Corporations are not some sort of "evil entities". The people running them are the ones that are fscked up. Were companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Tyco, et al responsible for all the BS that went on? Of course not, it was the assholes that were running them. The stupidest thing that the justice department and SEC ever did was to fine and prosecute corporations instead of individuals. Many innocent people were hurt by that.


Back on topic --- I have said here many times that I think "big oil" is missing the boat on developing alternative fuels. They obviously have the money and resources to take the lead in this area. They could develop and to some extent control the technology ensuring themselves profitability and longevity. I think they are being very short-sighted.

It's a very blurry line that seperates the companies themselves from the individuals that run them.

 

[etech]

Originally posted by: DaveSohmer

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian
I don't understand how people can be so non-critical about big companies in general. They see consumers as nothing more than a source of revenue, and they do whatever they can get away with to extract that revenue. Cut every corner, fudge every ethical boundary, sidestep every regulation, and buy off every politician they can. It's truely an 'us' vs. 'them' situation, and people seem to be willing to give 'them' inch after inch, and end up taking it in their wallet (or worse, their health/body) for their trouble.

My problem with your argument is that you want to blame a corporation when it is not the corp. that should be blamed. Corporations are not some sort of "evil entities". The people running them are the ones that are fscked up. Were companies such as Enron, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Tyco, et al responsible for all the BS that went on? Of course not, it was the assholes that were running them. The stupidest thing that the justice department and SEC ever did was to fine and prosecute corporations instead of individuals. Many innocent people were hurt by that.


Back on topic --- I have said here many times that I think "big oil" is missing the boat on developing alternative fuels. They obviously have the money and resources to take the lead in this area. They could develop and to some extent control the technology ensuring themselves profitability and longevity. I think they are being very short-sighted.

Dave, if those alternative fuels had an attractive economic return the oil companies would be investing even more money in them then they already are. As it is the execs have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to try and maximize returns. That precludes abandoning all reason and throwing everything at unproven technology.

 

[UltraQuiet]

It's a very blurry line that seperates the companies themselves from the individuals that run them.

Agreed. It 's a line that must be found and honored. Hundreds or thousands of people losing their livelihoods because of the malfeasance of a few and the ensuing reaction of the goverment is not acceptable.

Dave, if those alternative fuels had an attractive economic return the oil companies would be investing even more money in them then they already are. As it is the execs have a fiduciary responsibility to their shareholders to try and maximize returns. That precludes abandoning all reason and throwing everything at unproven technology.

I am not advocating what you propose in your last sentence and I understand what responsibilities CEO's and BoD's have to their shareholders. What I do think is that this technology has shown enough promise to be seriously explored and with an ever increasing dissatisfaction wrt our middle eastern relationships, continued political unrest there and in places like Venezuela, pollution problems that must be controlled, etc., "big oil" is missing the boat.
JMAO.

 

[etech]

Dave,

Are you sure that oil companies are not investing in alternative technologies?

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: etech
Dave,

Are you sure that oil companies are not investing in alternative technologies?

They certainly are - the question is in this case - are they doing enough?

Andy

 

[JellyBaby]

The biggest complaints I've heard of are pollution and buying up of patents/startups for alternative energy sources then disbanding/dropping them. Oh and also alleged ties to politicians and our foreign policy.

That said I enjoy oil....keeps me warm in the winter, enables me to travel long distances and for UPS to deliver stuff to me, all relatively cheaply. So oil companies must be doing at least some things right.

 

[lowtech1]

IMHO, majority of the population does believe that the oil companies are one of the worst environment polluter. But, there wouldn?t be a supplier if there weren?t a demand.

How ironic, that the people whos belly aching about the environment & gas price and then these same people go out and purchase the biggest SUV that they can find.

 

[Fencer128]

Originally posted by: lowtech
IMHO, majority of the population does believe that the oil companies are one of the worst environment polluter. But, there wouldn?t be a supplier if there weren?t a demand.

How ironic, that the people whos belly aching about the environment & gas price and then these same people go out and purchase the biggest SUV that they can find.

I hope that's not the case - but stranger things have happened.

 

[hagbard]

Originally posted by: Fencer128
From reading a lot of the recent threads concerning oil companies, I feel like whatever they decide to do - a lot of people find a reason to support it. Its kind of like "they can do no wrong". Can anyone who currently thinks that the oil companies are heading in the right direction with regards to opening up new drilling sites, % investment in alternative energy, etc. give me any negative points about what oil companies are up to. I guess I want to feel like all the above is true and not what people want to believe - and the way to test that is to see what criticism there is - as nothing and no-one is perfect.

Cheers,

Andy

Ask George W and his buddies.

 

[etech]

JellyBaby

The biggest complaints I've heard of are pollution and buying up of patents/startups for alternative energy sources then disbanding/dropping them.

Is there any proof to that or is it just another example of the urban ledged like the 100 mpg carburator?