It may be a shock to most people to learn that Forbes Magazine‘s “Green Company Of The Year” also funds lobby groups that question climate change, has pled guilty to killing migratory birds in 5 states, and is also the world’s largest publicly traded oil and natural gas company in the world. That’s right, Forbes picked ExxonMobil as its “Green Company Of The Year“.
Which raises the question, what really makes a company ‘green’?
Forbes’ reasoning behind the outrageous decision is based on Exxon’s $600 million algae farm project which could potentially produce a biofuel that could run cars, and a $30 million dollar project developing the largest natural gas field in the world. Also, after pleading guilty to the bird deaths, Exxon has started a $2.5 million program to keep birds from dying near their plants.
It seems as if Forbes and ExxonMobil are suggesting that being ‘green’ and being environmentally-friendly are two entirely separate entities – and as of late, it has been beginning to seem that way. As ‘green’ becomes more of a fad, it strays further away from its true roots, and loses its meaning altogether. There is no better example of this than Forbes commending a company such as Exxon for its efforts towards sustainability.
It makes no sense to award a “Green Company Of The Year” award to a business that makes billions of dollars profit on creating and burning fossil fuels, and one which uses the same money to fund groups that deny climate change is a reality. Sure, they are spending far more researching clean energy solutions, but realistically it’s only being done to appease its shareholders who are growing skeptical in a hybrid-focused, fuel-efficient culture.
The bottom line is ExxonMobil is not a green company, and Forbes should be embarrassed for trying to convince anyone otherwise.
