The True Cost of Chevron

The main point of this blog is to work toward a solution to global warming by encouraging solar power and electric cars.  But there are other reasons for switching to solar power and electric cars besides global warming.  I learned firsthand about one critical reason to get off of fossil fuels at the True Cost of Chevron (see www.TrueCostofChevron.com) teach-in tonight in Berkeley.

The  speakers were people from all over the world who had been devastated by Chevron’s and other’s extraction of oil (Ecuador, Indonesia, Nigeria, Canada, Angola, Australia) shipping (Alaska), and refining (Richmond, CA).  At every stage of the process Chevron promises jobs and prosperity, but delivers pollution and death.  The speakers were in town to attend the Chevron annual board meeting and present an Alternative Annual Report for Chevron in San Ramon, CA on May 25.  Here is a sample of what the panelists had to say at the teach-in:

·         Richmond Mayor Gayle McLaughlin reported that “every Chevron supported candidate in Richmond lost in the last election” and that the new progressive city council had won a court case demanding a new environmental impact report for an expansion of the refinery, the 2^nd largest in California

·         Greg Karras further explained that the Richmond case had beaten Chevron on the science, on the law, and on the organizing but that it will still be a fight.  “We need them to stop making us sick” and to “invest in green energy and stop cooking the planet”, he added.

·         Humberto Piguaje, speaking through an interpreter, and followed by Mitch Anderson of Amazon Watch, explained that there had been no leukemia or cancer before Texaco (now owned by Chevron) came in 1964 and created a massive health crisis by reckless production and dumping billions of gallons of toxic water into the Ecuadorian Amazon.  They won “one of the most historic verdicts in history” when Chevron was found guilty and fined billions of dollars.  But Chevron insists they will fight “until hell freezes over” not to pay a penny.

·         Elias Isaac said that he has learned by joining in the Chevron protests that Chevron is “messing up lives not just in Angola, but also in Mississippi, Alaska, California, and all over the world.”  He said that “the survival of the human race” is at stake.

·         Emem Okon described 40 years of “environmental devastation” in the Niger Delta of Nigeria, and said, “If they can’t clean up the environment, leave the oil in the soil”

·         Gitz Crazyboy described the tar sands as the “dirtiest, most energy intensive” way to get oil.  They have to heat the sand to get the oil out of it, and they leave huge ponds of polluted water—tailings-- that are toxic to all animal life.  He referred to the tar sands as “industrial genocide.”  “Everything about our culture in northern Alberta will be gone in 20 years,” he explained.

·         Mardan Pius Ginting explained that the oil in Indonesia comes from one of the poorest provinces.  Indonesia’s oil provides perhaps 1 million jobs, but fishing provides 40 million jobs.

·         Tom Evans comes from a village of 240 residents in Alaska.  He broke down as he explained, “My people are dying; it’s not safe to eat local food.”  He brought the audience of about 100 people to a standing ovation as he said, “we have to stand our ground together.”

·         Bryan Parras explained that his hometown, Houston, is an oil city.  “Anyone who does this work are true heroes. . . Try to get a job when you are an activist working against big oil. . . It makes no sense to do this work unless it’s really true and honest. . . People just don’t believe that the U.S. would allow all this to happen—but it’s true. . .all we’re asking is for them to clean it up

·         Rev. Davis (sorry, I didn’t catch his first name) told about being arrested last year at the Chevron meeting in Houston.  “All they know is profit and loss. . .Chevron is one of the biggest thieves that we know of. . .they put their money in offshore banks, while we in Richmond are putting people in the ground.

All in all it was a very powerful evening of sharing experiences and showing that the problems with oil are very profound.  If the price of gas reflected the true cost of all these environmental impacts, it would surely add another dollar or more to the price.  And these are real costs that the oil companies should be required to pay. 

So while I’ve tried to make the point that, with the right financing, the price of an electric car and solar panels is lower than driving a car that gets 20 miles per gallon, all of this environmental devastation, makes it clear that solar panels and electric cars are a much better deal than the price alone can demonstrate.

Below are photos of speakers at the Teach-in:

Richmond, CA Mayor Gayle McLaughlin

Greg Karras, Senior Scientist, Communities for a Better Environment

Tom Evans--Sugpiat People, Alutitiq Tribe, Alaska; Antonia Juhasz--author of Tyranny of Oil and Black Tide, True Cost of Chevron organizer; Rev. Davis--Richmond, CA

Humberto Piaguaje--Amazon Defense Coalition, Ecuador

Teri Shore--Turtle Island Restoration Network; Mardan Pius Ginting--Friends of the Earth, Indonesia; Gitz Crazyboy (Ryan Deranger)--First Nation Dene/Pikini (Blackfoot), Alberta, Canada; Emem Okon--Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Center, Niger Delta, Nigeria

Paul Donowitz--Earth Rights International, Washington, DC

Elias Isaac--Open Society Initiative, Angola