The Existential Threat
Part 1
Climate change, besides being a natural phenomenon, has been greatly induced by humans since ancient times. With the advent of technology, factories came into being and became the reason for greenhouse emission, which was deducted to be the major source of environmental depletion. Cyclones, storms, floods, and tsunamis have been accounted for the repercussions of human intervention in climate change. Although humans, now in the form of global corporations, such as oil and fossil companies, have been working for human betterment, they have been deceptively producing great harm to their environment. World Climate Conferences were held, and many political leaders set scientific teams to investigate causal complications and ask scientists to find answers and make pacts with parties to reduce the catastrophic effects of climate change (Butler). Planting trees was promoted, and the use of fossil fuels was discouraged.
It seems as if climate change is inevitable as with the progress in science, there are aspects that humans cannot abandon, like mass consumerism and greater industrialization; however, it is the social, economic, and ethical responsibility of the humans to take care of the environments they live in for their survival. For the past few decades, human domination over the planet is increasingly evident. After realizing the Anthropocene (Chua and Fair), humans have been inventing ways to adapt to climate change and reduce pollution, such as less usage of plastic and more use of recycled goods. There remains the fact that humans have been greatly affecting the climate since the relationship has become quite strong inadvertently over time.
Part 2
In Chevron’s “Human Energy” ad campaign, the highlighted notion is the use of oil for transmitting energy, which the major source of life, but environmental hazards of oil usage and greater industrialization have been greatly neglected. Moreover, the company has not shown in its ads or largely anywhere its realities and the generation of profit streams through these movements. A company has to be socially responsible when it operates for the good of human civilization. Still, Chevron has obscured these aspects in its campaign by not addressing climate change and environmental responsibility. Oil companies try to portray their fuel campaigns as a positive approach towards public relations and the environment because “they work” and people connected with these firms, known as stakeholders, have their respective benefits. The power-sharing with these firms gives them the authority to support oil companies’ corporate activities, which becomes a challenge for their ethical and environmental responsibility (Sawyer).
Another example of a corporate oxymoron is Exxon’s fossil fuel campaigns that tell misleading concepts for their good. Fossil fuels are inferred to be one of the biggest sources of global warming and climate change; however, Exxon has convincing arguments that climate is natural and has been misleading to attract political investments for years. Scientists have now proclaimed that greenhouse emissions are the major source of climate change and that humans have been greatly involved. Yet, oil and fuel companies like Exxon have been dishonestly generating heat rates, transforming the planet into an atomic bomb due to greater levels of heat accumulation over the past few years (Cook et al.).
Consumers have now denounced the campaigns, and strong media platforms like Web publishers now issue articles about these oil companies’ efforts for promoting oil, and fossil usage should be deterred. Conservation of climate for preservation and survival of human civilization has become the prime concern for global governments, environmental societies, and consumers.
Works Cited
Butler, Colin D. “Climate Change, Health and Existential Risks to civilization: A comprehensive review (1989-2013).” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 15, 10, 2266. 16 Oct.2018, DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15102266
Chua, Liana, and Fair, Hannah. “Anthropocene.” The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology, 2019, https://www.anthroencyclopedia.com/entry/anthropocene. Accessed 12 Oct. 2020.
Cook, John, et al. “Exxon has Misled Americans on Climate Change for Decades. Here’s How to Fight Back.” The Guardian, 23 Oct. 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/oct/23/exxon-climate-change-fossil-fuels-disinformation
Sawyer, Suzana. “Human Energy.” Dialect Anthropol, vol. 34, 2010, pp. 67-75, DOI: 10.1007/s10624-009-9122-9
