A Gallup poll done two weeks ago reveals that of all industries, Americans rated the oil and gas worst, even worse than banking, GM and lawyers.
There have been some annoyed, defensive responses from workers in the oil and gas field — understandable since most people in the industry are hard-working, honest and understandably offended at being categorized as disreputable.
These complaints are undercut by recent oil company actions, like this month’s artificially staged “grassroots” events in Texas against stronger emissions controls. The New York Times reported:
“The event on Tuesday was organized by a group called Energy Citizens, which is backed by the American Petroleum Institute, the oil industry’s main trade group. Many of the people attending the demonstration were employees of oil companies who work in Houston and were bused from their workplaces…
For its part, the oil industry plans to raise the pressure in coming weeks through its public rallies so that it can negotiate more favorable terms in the Senate than it got in the House. The strategy was outlined by the American Petroleum Institute in a memorandum sent to its members, which include Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips. The memorandum, not meant for the public, was obtained by the environmental group Greenpeace last week.”
In a related story, PR firms for the coal industry were found to have sent more than five dozen fake letters ( supposedly from groups like senior centers and the NAACP) opposing new climate change laws to members of Congress. The PR company, Bonner and Associates, blamed it on a rogue temp. The coal industry has apologized. But it’s understandable that public suspicion continues.
