NYT/Reuters: Consumer, Environmental Fury Kicks Off Exxon Meeting

[DeepModem Mom]

Consumer, Environmental Fury Kicks Off Exxon Meeting
By REUTERS
Published: May 31, 2006

DALLAS (Reuters) - Simmering consumer fury over soaring gasoline prices and angst over Exxon Mobil Corp.'s environmental policies converged on a Dallas symphony hall on Wednesday as the company kicked off its annual shareholders' meeting.

A normally raucous affair teeming with protesters, angry shareholders and police officers, Exxon's meeting has drawn more attention than usual this year. About 60 protesters stood outside the meeting hall in downtown Dallas, beating drums and chanting slogans like, "Exxon gets rich while U.S. soldiers die'' and "No planet, no dividends.''

"We're not asking them to transform themselves into Greenpeace,'' said Athan Manuel, a lobbyist with environmental group U.S. PIRG that wants Exxon to invest in renewable energy sources and do more on global warming concerns. "We're not asking them to do things that other oil companies haven't done.''

Stung by gasoline prices that have topped $3 a gallon, consumer groups are accusing the world's largest publicly traded oil company of profiting off the backs of hapless motorists.

U.S. lawmakers have joined in the act and are threatening to impose special windfall taxes on the company's profits. Those profits totaled a handsome $36 billion last year -- the most profitable year ever for a U.S. company....

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-energy-exxon.html

[bananas]

1. You'd think the shareholders would be happy.

:sarcasm:

[marmar]

2. Energy and environmental anger at Exxon meeting

Consumer, environmental fury kicks off Exxon meeting
Submitted by davidswanson on Wed, 2006-05-31 18:25. Media
By Deepa Babington

DALLAS (Reuters) - Simmering consumer fury over soaring gasoline prices and angst over Exxon Mobil Corp.'s environmental policies converged on a Dallas symphony hall on Wednesday as the company kicked off its annual shareholders' meeting.

A normally raucous affair teeming with protesters, angry shareholders and police officers, Exxon's meeting has drawn more attention than usual this year. About 60 protesters stood outside the meeting hall in downtown Dallas, beating drums and chanting slogans like, "Exxon gets rich while U.S. soldiers die" and "No planet, no dividends."

"We're not asking them to transform themselves into Greenpeace," said Athan Manuel, a lobbyist with environmental group U.S. PIRG that wants Exxon to invest in renewable energy sources and do more on global warming concerns. "We're not asking them to do things that other oil companies haven't done."

Stung by gasoline prices that have topped $3 a gallon, consumer groups are accusing the world's largest publicly traded oil company of profiting off the backs of hapless motorists.

The rest is at: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/11326

[mbee]

3. Al Gore mentioned Exxon a couple of times when he was interviewed

by Terry Gross on NPR!

[marmar]

5. I heard that...

Al has taken the gloves off. He more or less called Bush a total failure during that interview too.

[goforit]

4. 60 people?.....Exxon is the catalyst to destruction and only 60 people

show up in protest!!!

This IS what is wrong!!!
Corporations will rule for centuries at this rate!

[Earth_First]

6. My guess is that most folks were at work.

...in order to make a few extra dollars to provide a bridge to the rift that increased energy profiteering has created.

Besides, the media tends to grossly underestimate the real figures when it comes to protest and demonstration reporting.