Shell, Nigeria and British Columbia

[canuck31003]

I've never had a positive impression of the oil industry - for a variety of reasons - and I've always thought gasoline companies like Exxon, Shell, Chevron, etc. to be necessary evils. After watching this video, however, which comments on Shell's deplorable business practices in the Nigeria delta and how Shell is now exploiting natural resources in British Columbia, I've decided Shell is no longer deserving of my money.

Youtube: British Columbia: Nigeria North?

Let's see, I've been boycotting Exxon since 1989, and now Shell has joined it. I wonder how long it will be before I learn something about Chevron that causes me to add it to my list, as well.

[Cloud23465]

Jeez... why hate exxon/Mobil? After all they only reported $10 Billion... that with a B... not an M. But $10 Billion in the fourth quarter of 2005. While we pay up the... for gas. That's ok though... they can't take that money with them and it won't get them anywhere after there dead.

[jeriddian]

I've never had a positive impression of the oil industry - for a variety of reasons - and I've always thought gasoline companies like Exxon, Shell, Chevron, etc. to be necessary evils. After watching this video, however, which comments on Shell's deplorable business practices in the Nigeria delta and how Shell is now exploiting natural resources in British Columbia, I've decided Shell is no longer deserving of my money.

Youtube: British Columbia: Nigeria North?

Let's see, I've been boycotting Exxon since 1989, and now Shell has joined it. I wonder how long it will be before I learn something about Chevron that causes me to add it to my list, as well.

The only problem is that all of the oil companies are going to be that way.....You can't boycott them all, unfortunately (unless you have a totally electric car and run your house off of solar and/or wind energy and nothing else).

[Cloud23465]

What make's it worse is... the Car companys finally wake up and realise that the oil companys will screw anyone over when it comes to making money. I know that car companys used to work with the oil companys to make poor gas mileage. Now that cars arn't selling and plants are closing down... the oil comanys say Oh well. Now the car companys try to work for the people making the MPG average alot higher... but then the Oil companys work to make oil prices spike to all time highs, make shortages on purpose so they can make the gas prices higher. My area had the chance to open an ethanol plant that could maybe help lower prices but... no one wanted to have it in there back yard so they packed up and went else where. Everyone compalins around here but we had a chance to maybe help the problem but... now I just say shut up and deal with it cause you ruined our chance.

[Fireand'chutes77]

(unless you have a totally electric car...)

A totally electric car

The company offers to install solar panels on customers' roofs; if you drive less than the daily generation of electricity (about 50 miles - the panels feed electricity into the grid during the day, and you buy it back at night when it's cheapest), your "fuel" bill is effectively $0.

Now the car companies try to work for the people making the MPG average alot higher...

If the car companies were in a rush to up gas mileage, they wouldn't lobby so much for the CAFE status quo, the cars would be much more streamlined, most engines would be diesel (as they are in Europe), and they would stop churning out SUVs.

My area had the chance to open an ethanol plant that could maybe help lower prices...

IMHO, ethanol, at least corn ethanol, is not the way to go. In fact, corn ethanol will probably screw us over. It takes up too much foodstuffs, and the energy returns are break-even at best. The main reason it's being touted as a "wonder fuel" is because the farmers get huge tax breaks for it. If we wanted to be smart about it, we'd go with cane ethanol - Brazil is humming along fine on it - switchgrass, or similar. The best option for ethanol would be the cellulosic route: finding how to use all the "junk" that corn farmers would usually throw away.

Of course, if we *really* smart, we'd dump ICEs completely and go electric. But the government and power companies don't want that, because people can become independent and self-sufficient if they use electricity...

[Cloud23465]

Now the car companies try to work for the people making the MPG average alot higher...

If the car companies were in a rush to up gas mileage, they wouldn't lobby so much for the CAFE status quo, the cars would be much more streamlined, most engines would be diesel (as they are in Europe), and they would stop churning out SUVs.

Yeah. Diesel since I can remeber used to always be cheaper then unleaded gas... now it's on average 40-60 cents higher per gallon. I'm all for diesels but I don't think america would be. Seeing that the average diesel truck that i've priced cost $6,000 more just to get the diesel motor vs the gas motor.