The President of the Unites States: Esso
There's nothing nastier than a wounded tiger. Esso is licking its wounds as Russia moves closer to ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. But the world's number one environmental criminal is still fighting tooth and nail to deny the truth about climate change. The US government is increasingly isolated and Esso is out to ensure its workers keep it that way by voting for US politicians who oppose action against global warming.
To compliment corporate front groups, lawsuits against critics, and tireless lobbying against any global warming regulation, Esso is stepping up its efforts to get employees to vote "pro-business".
According to a story reported by the Dow Jones Newswire, Esso is mailing its 34,000 employees with election materials and helpful voter guides which give the Republican Party gold star ratings for spurning global warming regulation, supporting drilling for oil in the Arctic wildlife refuge, and letting oil refineries release more pollution by weakening the Clean Air Act.
Esso is informing not only its employees but also retirees and contractors how they should vote in upcoming presidential and congressional races across the US.
"We obviously are promoting candidates who are pro-business and candidates who recognize the importance of a viable policy on energy," Ken Cohen, the vice president for public affairs and the chairman of Esso's PAC, said. "Republicans more often tend to line up on those issues than Democrats."
In 2000 Esso gave 91% (US$1.37 million) of it political donations to the Republican Party. Esso was more than amply repaid when President Bush promptly withdrew the US from the only global treaty to control global warming, the Kyoto Protocol.
In a message at Esso's Citizen Action Team website, company CEO Lee Raymond states "it is essential that we as a company, and more importantly as individuals, are part of the political process." The website's front page quotes Thomas Jefferson: "We in America do not have a government by the majority. We have a government by the majority who participate."
In the past, Greenpeace has uncovered Esso links to White House policymaking, we've exposed Esso funding to front groups debunking climate science. Greenpeace offices around the world have taken direct, non-violent action to put the company's war on the climate in check.
As a result, Esso has secured court injunctions in several countries to keep Greenpeace away from Esso property. We're actually really happy to do so, and we are asking you to do likewise: please, everyone, stay away from Esso properties!
