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Shell Oil, Suncor and Total. (See document annex to slide 32 of my testimony of
May 23rd). Membership in 1968 was likely similar.
1972-Industry documents show the 1968 and 1969 reports were circulated
within the industry and that industry executives claimed to have read them,
confirming that the findings, conclusions and warnings from Robinson and
Robbins were seen.
• We know that the reports were circulated within API and other industry
groups at the time, and that many industry scientists and executives either
read the reports or claimed to have done so. Most significantly, the work of
Robinson and Robbins was referenced, praised and extensively discussed in
a report submitted by National Petroleum Council (NPC) to the Department
of Interior in 1972. (Submitted as document annex to slides 33-34 of my
testimony at the May 23rd hearing.)
1970s-1980s—Internal industry documents repeatedly and increasingly
acknowledge the growing scientific consensus on climate change.
1978—Internal Exxon presentation recognizes “general scientific agreement”
that fossil fuels are most likely source on human influence on climate and that
“man has a window of five to ten years before the need for hard decisions
regarding energy strategies might become critical”.
In a cover memo and internal presentation shared with an Exxon executive, Exxon
scientist James Black provided an extensive overview of then current science on
climate change. (Annex C hereto.) Black focused on areas of continued debate
and uncertainty, but concluded by acknowledging a growing scientific consensus
on the most likely sources and scale of global temperature change, and the short
time-frame in which touch decisions on energy might become critical. (Fig. 6)
Fig. 6
Notably, Jack’s cover letter to F.G. Turpin, Vice President of Exxon Research &
Engineering states that he had delivered a version of this presentation to Exxon’s
Corporation Management Committee the previous. This demonstrates Exxon was
being briefed on climate change at the highest levels of management by 1977 at the
latest.
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