Scientific research indicates the risks from global warming „warrant action now,” Kenneth Cohen, Exxon Mobil Corp.'s vice president of public affairs, said in materials prepared for a conference call today with reporters. New policies are needed to „reduce the risk of serious impacts at a reasonable cost.” Cohen's comments are the Irving, Texas-based company's most strident to date on the topic of climate changes linked to the burning of fossil fuels such as gasoline, coal and diesel.
Exxon Mobil, pilloried by Greenpeace throughout the 1990s as an enemy of environmentalism, has been softening its stance on global warming since early 2000, when former CEO Lee Raymond gave a speech in London that acknowledged the dangers inherent in climate change. Temperatures have risen worldwide since the industrial revolution of the 19th century ushered in more use of fossil fuels, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a creation of the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization.
If the warming trend continues, it could threaten food production and fresh-water supplies, and spur malaria and cholera epidemics, according to the panel. Exxon Mobil scientists participated in some of the studies that led to the panel's report.