Exxon isn't using their listening skills.

It is no secret among friends and family that know me well that I despise Exxon.

Ever since the Valdez took a drunk driving wrong turn in to Prince William’s Sound in 1989, followed by Exxon fighting tooth and nail to not pay damages for the environmental disaster that ensued, I have been unable to even contemplate buying Exxon products. If I were on my last fumes of gas, and ran out in front of an Exxon pump, I would still walk down the road to get a can full of anything BUT Exxon gasoline. Yes, I can hold a grudge.

Which is why lately I find myself muttering things like, “Why doesn’t Exxon ‘get’ it?”, so often during this last year of skyrocketing oil prices. They report record profits, yet again try to wiggle out of paying what they owe to the state of Alaska. While oil companies like Shell and BP are running ads talking about their renewed commitment and increased investments in alternative fuels, Exxon runs ads talking about how smart their engineers are to be able to figure out how to drill deeper and in new places in the Arctic. Bah.

I realize that Shell and BP aren’t saints when it comes to environmental issues. I’m no fool. But they are at least responding to consumer demand by making an effort in the right direction. Exxon just keeps on with the same game plan. I just heard a report – sorry I can’t cite it, but I’ll do some more research – saying that Exxon was worth more money than all of the auto manufacturers combined IN THE WORLD. And another report from USNews.com showed earnings in 2007 of 40.6 billion dollars. That’s Billion, with a B. I think I know where the auto maker’s bailout should come from…

I’m not against a company turning a profit. That is what makes our economy work. But what I am against is making a profit at the expense of corporate responsibilities. Just like my description of what a Green Guest should be, if you make a mess, clean it up. And how unethical is it to make record shattering profits during a time when consumers are hit with the highest pump prices ever? C’mon, Exxon. You’ve got the money, the power, the influence. With that kind of money, you could revolutionize energy production, and be a leader in solar, wind, wave, and battery technology. C'mon. Why not do the right thing? Sphere: Related Content