[Science] Pope Summons Oil Execs to Vatican to Talk Climate Change

[tao]

Pope Francis next week will meet with global oil executives to talk about global warming.

 

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will meet with some of the world's oil executives next week, likely to give them another moral nudge to clean up their act on global warming.

 

Climate change policy and science experts are cautiously hopeful but aren't expecting any miracles or even noticeable changes.

 

The conference will be a follow-up to the pope's encyclical three years ago calling on people to save the planet from climate change and other environmental ills, Vatican spokesman Greg Burke confirmed Friday. Cardinal Peter Turkson, who spearheaded the encyclical, set up the June 8-9 conference with the executives. The pope himself will speak to the leaders on the second day of the summit, organized with the University of Notre Dame, Burke said.

 

Officials at the Vatican and Notre Dame would not disclose who is coming. BP, however, confirmed that its CEO Robert Dudley plans to attend, and Exxon Mobil said CEO Darren Woods would be there. Woods said this week that his company is trying to balance the risks of climate change with growing demand for energy to raise living standards in the developing world.

 

Michael Oppenheimer, a professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University, said he doubts anything "measurable" will come out of the conference but he was nevertheless hopeful.

 

Oil companies have talked about fighting climate change, but they haven't done much beyond talk, said MIT management professor John Sterman.

 

The pope offers "moral persuasion," but if it is just a photo opportunity for oil executives to show off "it doesn't mean anything and in fact it's just PR to help oil companies burnish up their image while they continue to delay actions," Sterman said.

 

Jerry Taylor, president of the Washington libertarian-oriented think-tank Niskanen Center, said he figures the oil executives will tell the pope they're willing to accept action, such as a tax on heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions.

 

"But what is needed is for these oil majors to tell Republican lawmakers of their concern and support for action, not the pope. And this they have not done in any focused, sustained, or meaningful way," Taylor said in an email. That's where, he said, the pontiff needs to push them farther on the morality of what they're doing, he said.

 

Dana Fisher, a sociologist who studies environmentalism at the University of Maryland, said the pope is cementing his leadership on climate.

 

"He certainly is trying to lead for the planet and lord knows we need it," she said.

 

Gary Yohe, an economics and environment professor at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, said the executives might feel compelled to listen to the spiritual leader of nearly 1.3 billion Catholics.

 

"This is not somebody you can ignore," Yohe said. "It might be a come to Jesus moment for them."

 

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[flash48]

I think the Pope should stick to religion and Climate change is a Hoax.  Before humans were on this planet, the Earth had numerous hot and cold spells.  According to Dr. Google we had at least 17 cycles of glacial and interglacial periods. .  Can any sane person blame us humans for melting the ice 17 times?  Mars and Venus are also experiencing Climate Change.  Can any sane person blame us for temperature changes on other planets?

[tao]

42 minutes ago, flash48 said:

Climate change is a Hoax

 

42 minutes ago, flash48 said:

According to Dr. Google

[flash48]

8 hours ago, sva said:

 

Sorry but it is perfectly clear that either you do not understand what I said or you are twisted my words on purpose.

[tao]

1 hour ago, flash48 said:

it is perfectly clear that either you do not understand what I said or you are twisted my words on purpose.

Fair enough. 

 

Now let Dr Google take a much needed rest and please visit:  < https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/ >

 

Thereafter if it remains perfectly clear that climate change is a hoax, then I'd cry uncle.  Deal? 

[dMog]

12 minutes ago, sva said:

Fair enough. 

 

Now let Dr Google take a much needed rest and please visit:  < https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/ >

 

Thereafter if it remains perfectly clear that climate change is a hoax, then I'd cry uncle.  Deal? 

only one problem...climate deniers will NEVER  believe the truth even after it bites them in the ass

[flash48]

You guys must be die hard liberals.  OK you win, Yes there is climate change.  In winter the weather gets cold and in summer the weather gets hot.

[flitox]

we still doesn't hear anymore about the solar cycle that should lead us toward a mini iceage

1 hour ago, flash48 said:

You guys must be die hard liberals.  OK you win, Yes there is climate change.  In winter the weather gets cold and in summer the weather gets hot.

sorry dude, you're wrong, this is season change! proof you don't know what you are talking about