Fossil fuel executives may have something to worry about when Pope Francis comes to town. In his encyclical on climate change, the pope finished by asking that God “Enlighten those who possess power and money that they may avoid the sin of indifference, that they may love the common good, advance the weak, and care for this world in which we live.”
It would appear Pope Francis is making the case that our corporations, especially those in the fossil fuel industry, need to be mindful of the impact they have on the planet.
The rewards for fossil fuel CEO’s seems to be in a decidedly opposite direction from that of the pope, as Alternet explains:
It’s pretty much a “pay more to drill more” system, and it’s been enormously lucrative. While shoving the costs of their climate-damaging activities on the rest of us, the 30 top fossil fuel CEO’s made $14.7 million last year on average. [Rex Tillerson, ExxonMobil CEO], with $33 million, made well more than double the S&P 500 average of $13.5 million.
One of the most perverse aspects of the fossil fuel executive pay system is that it rewards CEO’s bonus time for expanding their carbon reserves. Never mind that if the world’s largest fossil fuel company were to burn all the oil, coal, and gas they already own, it would cause irreversible climate disaster, everything from extreme flooding and drought to a significant rise in sea level.
That disaster would be placed squarely on the shoulders of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. It is the pope’s mission to defend and love them. Fossil Fuel CEO’s need to take note when Pope Francis comes to town.
For more on this, read the article from Alternet titled: “Papal Smackdown: Pope Francis v. Fossil Fuel Execs.”
