Ban the Fossils from Climate Talks

With all due respect and solidarity, Doug, I whole-heartedly disagree. What you're advocating is what we’ve been doing since the dawn of the COPs, and the fossils totally control the process as a result. As for bringing their most realistic endgame plans? They claim they’re doing that—just have a look at Emily Atkin’s Heated newsletter (https://heated.world/p/big-oils-new-climate-campaign-mimics) a few days ago. And this is the net result—0.8% of their capital investment last year (https://theenergymix.com/2020/01/22/fossils-devote-0-8-of-investment-to-climate-solutions-new-iea-figures-show/) going into the combination of real energy alternatives and the science fiction of carbon capture and geoengineering, according to International Energy Agency figures. I think the flaw in the argument is your assumption that we can only control them if they’re inside the tent. By extension, the World Health Organization should let Big Tobacco back into its annual assembly. I doubt any reputable health professional would agree with that. After all that, you may be right. But if you are, it means we’re cooked if we depend on the UN process—and this is the right time to be having that discussion, because people are already beginning to say that if Glasgow fails, the COP process is cooked. (https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51229604) Yes, we need the fossils to take all the steps you list. Here’s how we get them there: (https://theenergymix.com/2015/12/16/coal-will-be-vilified-like-slave-traders-industry-exec-predicts/). You don’t deal with a bully by asking nicely.

Doug - I've considered your response to the Ban The Fossils campaign. You raise the valid concern that it's better to have the fossils at the table than banishing them completely. You also stipulate that they should only be participants as long as they come to the talks with concrete solutions to the climate crisis. But will they. My answer is NO they will not. When I see this kind of response from the retiring CEO of BP, I know without any doubt that the fossils are not part of the solution -- he cautions the fossil fuel industry against moving too quickly to counter the climate crisis. I'm stepping up my actions to Ban The Fossils and appealing to a much broader audience with a video on the We Dont Have Time platform. I'm asking for support. Please use the #BanTheFossils in your climate actions.

With all due respect, I whole-heartedly disagree with this proposal. I challenge you to consider and think through a constructive alternative. Rather than vilify and cut off communications with the oil & gas industry, we need to take the reins and control them, command them to submit their most expedient endgame plans to wind down production and refining operations in a predictable, managed decline to their necessary demise, while funding 100% of their "final expenses" for dismantling and detoxifying oil refineries, oil field processing facilities, abandoned oil and gas wells, pipelines, LNG facilities and terminals, and dis-allowing any further exploration or expansion of any sort, dis-allowing any further dividend distributions, dis-allowing any further stock options or deferred compensation and requiring them to buy-back all outstanding shares (aka market capitalization) over the predicted remaining life of each corporation at a fixed share price and dis-allowing bankruptcy in order to avert panic sell-off of shares and the collapse that such a panic would cause in the markets and in the economy. Kicking fossils out will perpetuate unfettered laissez-fair control by the CEOs and Boards of Directors whose only motive is to increase their own personal wealth. They will not respond to any internal personal morality, so we must put a leash on them and enforce their own best endgame in the interest of a so-called just transition. To do otherwise will never result in a truly just transition. Their invitation to Glasgow must include a caveat that they come with a complete set of plausible scenarios covering a range of variables using their business planning models, testing the sensitivity to the logistical and financial assumptions, challenges and conundrums. My thoughts on this were published in three VT news papers: Bit.ly/Reform3July19 Bit.ly/VTDig7July19 Bit.ly/Commons24July19 Doug Grandt Vermont USA

We have a #climateemergency. Why? Simple answer: the fossil fuel industry. Please #ActOnClimate and share this in your social media network.