USA -The Big Lie: Big oil CEOs just lied before Congress. It’s time they’re held accountable - by Jamie Henn

For the first time ever, the executives from four major oil companies and two of the industry’s most powerful front groups testified before Congress about their decades-long effort to spread climate disinformation and block legislation that would reduce US dependence on fossil fuels.

Republicans vehemently opposed the premise of Thursday’s House oversight hearing. Yet within the first round of GOP questioning, led by one of the industry’s staunchest defenders, ranking committee member James Comer of Kentucky, the executives inadvertently proved why they were summoned to testify under oath in the first place.

There can be no doubt that Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP have all engaged in false advertising, aka disinformation campaigns, during the tenure of their current CEOs. In fact, one could argue that the vast majority of the industry’s advertising fits this definition.

Take Exxon. For years, Exxon has been spending millions of dollars to run ads about its investments in algae fuel, even though it has spent very little on the actual research and has no plan to bring the product to market. The company hopes to create a “net impression” among consumers that Exxon is in the business of climate solutions, when it’s really still in the business of climate destruction. It’s textbook false advertising – which is one reason Exxon is being taken to court for this disinformation.

Read more at: Big oil CEOs just lied before Congress. It’s time they’re held accountable | Jamie Henn | The Guardian

Oil Industry Fraud: Royal Dutch Shell and other Oil giants face South Africa price-fixing charges

Subsidiaries of global oil giants Chevron, Shell, Total and BP were referred to South Africa's top anti-trust body Wednesday over accusations they have been colluding to rig consumer prices since the 1980s, with a recommendation that the companies face massive fines.

Following "wide-ranging investigations" since 2009, the Competition Commission said it had uncovered "collusive conduct" that stretched back decades, and had referred the case to the Competition Tribunal for judgement.

The commission recommended that each company be fined 10 percent of total turnover from their South African business for the last financial year. "The investigation revealed collusive conduct through extensive exchanges of commercially sensitive information by the respondent oil companies," it said.

The information was said to include detailed monthly sales figures and collusion to influence the regulatory environment.

Read more: more: Oil giants face South Africa price-fixing charges | Radio Netherlands Worldwide

The Environment: Ecuador court upholds historic environmental case against Chevron - by Jim Wyss

Humberto Piaguaje, a school teacher in Ecuador’s Amazon, says he has lost eight family members to cancer. He blames the rash of deaths in his village of San Pablo de Kantesiya — close to Colombia and Peru — on river water contaminated by upstream oil operations. On Tuesday, an Ecuadoran appeals court agreed, upholding an $18 billion judgment against Chevron Corp. saying it was liable for the shoddy environmental practices of its predecessor, Texaco, which dumped millions of gallons of oil-tainted waste water in streams and creeks. Texaco operated in Ecuador from 1960 to 1992 and the two companies merged in 2001.The judgment — thought to be one of the largest environmental verdicts in history — was doubled from $9 billion as Chevron has refused to offer a public apology. The case has dragged on for more than 18 years in U.S. and Ecuador courts, and still isn’t over. Chevron called the ruling “illegitimate” and said it will continue to fight the case in international tribunals and the U.S. courts. Company Spokesman Kent Robertson said Chevron was still analyzing the ruling and had not decided if it will take the case to Ecuador’s Supreme Court.But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Pablo Fajardo said the appellate decision makes the judgment enforceable even before a higher court ruling.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573017/ecuador-court-upholds-historic.html#storylink=cpy

Humberto Piaguaje, a school teacher in Ecuador’s Amazon, says he has lost eight family members to cancer. He blames the rash of deaths in his village of San Pablo de Kantesiya — close to Colombia and Peru — on river water contaminated by upstream oil operations.

On Tuesday, an Ecuadoran appeals court agreed, upholding an $18 billion judgment against Chevron Corp. saying it was liable for the shoddy environmental practices of its predecessor, Texaco, which dumped millions of gallons of oil-tainted waste water in streams and creeks. Texaco operated in Ecuador from 1960 to 1992 and the two companies merged in 2001.The judgment — thought to be one of the largest environmental verdicts in history — was doubled from $9 billion as Chevron has refused to offer a public apology.

The case has dragged on for more than 18 years in U.S. and Ecuador courts, and still isn’t over. Chevron called the ruling “illegitimate” and said it will continue to fight the case in international tribunals and the U.S. courts. Company Spokesman Kent Robertson said Chevron was still analyzing the ruling and had not decided if it will take the case to Ecuador’s Supreme Court.But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Pablo Fajardo said the appellate decision makes the judgment enforceable even before a higher court ruling.

For the complete report go to: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573017/ecuador-court-upholds-historic.html#storylink=cpy

Humberto Piaguaje, a school teacher in Ecuador’s Amazon, says he has lost eight family members to cancer. He blames the rash of deaths in his village of San Pablo de Kantesiya — close to Colombia and Peru — on river water contaminated by upstream oil operations. On Tuesday, an Ecuadoran appeals court agreed, upholding an $18 billion judgment against Chevron Corp. saying it was liable for the shoddy environmental practices of its predecessor, Texaco, which dumped millions of gallons of oil-tainted waste water in streams and creeks. Texaco operated in Ecuador from 1960 to 1992 and the two companies merged in 2001.The judgment — thought to be one of the largest environmental verdicts in history — was doubled from $9 billion as Chevron has refused to offer a public apology. The case has dragged on for more than 18 years in U.S. and Ecuador courts, and still isn’t over. Chevron called the ruling “illegitimate” and said it will continue to fight the case in international tribunals and the U.S. courts. Company Spokesman Kent Robertson said Chevron was still analyzing the ruling and had not decided if it will take the case to Ecuador’s Supreme Court.But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Pablo Fajardo said the appellate decision makes the judgment enforceable even before a higher court ruling.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573017/ecuador-court-upholds-historic.html#storylink=cpy

Humberto Piaguaje, a school teacher in Ecuador’s Amazon, says he has lost eight family members to cancer. He blames the rash of deaths in his village of San Pablo de Kantesiya — close to Colombia and Peru — on river water contaminated by upstream oil operations. On Tuesday, an Ecuadoran appeals court agreed, upholding an $18 billion judgment against Chevron Corp. saying it was liable for the shoddy environmental practices of its predecessor, Texaco, which dumped millions of gallons of oil-tainted waste water in streams and creeks. Texaco operated in Ecuador from 1960 to 1992 and the two companies merged in 2001.The judgment — thought to be one of the largest environmental verdicts in history — was doubled from $9 billion as Chevron has refused to offer a public apology. The case has dragged on for more than 18 years in U.S. and Ecuador courts, and still isn’t over. Chevron called the ruling “illegitimate” and said it will continue to fight the case in international tribunals and the U.S. courts. Company Spokesman Kent Robertson said Chevron was still analyzing the ruling and had not decided if it will take the case to Ecuador’s Supreme Court.But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Pablo Fajardo said the appellate decision makes the judgment enforceable even before a higher court ruling.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573017/ecuador-court-upholds-historic.html#storylink=cpy

Humberto Piaguaje, a school teacher in Ecuador’s Amazon, says he has lost eight family members to cancer. He blames the rash of deaths in his village of San Pablo de Kantesiya — close to Colombia and Peru — on river water contaminated by upstream oil operations. On Tuesday, an Ecuadoran appeals court agreed, upholding an $18 billion judgment against Chevron Corp. saying it was liable for the shoddy environmental practices of its predecessor, Texaco, which dumped millions of gallons of oil-tainted waste water in streams and creeks. Texaco operated in Ecuador from 1960 to 1992 and the two companies merged in 2001.The judgment — thought to be one of the largest environmental verdicts in history — was doubled from $9 billion as Chevron has refused to offer a public apology. The case has dragged on for more than 18 years in U.S. and Ecuador courts, and still isn’t over. Chevron called the ruling “illegitimate” and said it will continue to fight the case in international tribunals and the U.S. courts. Company Spokesman Kent Robertson said Chevron was still analyzing the ruling and had not decided if it will take the case to Ecuador’s Supreme Court.But the plaintiffs’ lawyer, Pablo Fajardo said the appellate decision makes the judgment enforceable even before a higher court ruling.

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/01/04/2573017/ecuador-court-upholds-historic.html#storylink=cpyFor more: Ecuador court upholds historic environmental case against Chevron - Americas - MiamiHerald.com