Guess who’s the 17th largest economy in the world today? Hint: it’s ahead of Switzerland. You’d be wrong if you guessed a country because the correct answer is ExxonMobil. Exxon’s 2005 sales totaled $371 billion – an amount that exceeds Indonesia’s GDP, the fourth most populated country in the world. And on Monday, Exxon profits yielded the largest yearly profit ever made by a US company; a whopping $36.13 billion, increasing 42% from 2004, thanks to consistently high oil prices. With all this wealth, you’d think that Exxon would pay off its environmental debts that it was solely responsible for 10 years ago. I’m referring to the Valdez incident off the coast of Alaska where 11 million gallons of crude oil were spilled into Prince William Sound, becoming the worst man-made environmental disaster in US history. A jury ordered Exxon to pay what now amounts to $6.5 billion for environmental damages, however the case remains tied up in appeals and Exxon hasn't paid a penny. In response, a defender of Exxon Mobil recently reported that the Valdez environmental disaster was "a problem that's long passed." Regardless of the how much Exxon ultimately pays for its transgressions, one thing remains perfectly clear – the American people should take a stand against Exxon’s continued pressure for opening the Arctic (National) Wildlife Refuge. As Exxon has demonstrated a lack of good corporate and environmental responsibility, it is inappropriate for them to have any further dealings with new oil revenue possibilities in Alaska.
by Erin Swanson ESwanson@enviance.com | 
