In the eyes of many investors and climate activists, ExxonMobil is the worst of them all—it is nowhere near the recent climate pledges of its European rivals and it has been accused of covering up the science that has been warning of the effects of global warming for decades. Yet, it was Exxon that funded a solar power company in the 1970s when the Arab oil embargo led to long lines at gas stations in the United States and American oil companies sought to diversify into other forms of energy as they thought oil, and growing dependence on OPEC oil, could be a threat to their business and existence. In what can be seen as a highly ironic history twist, it was Exxon that helped the solar industry to take off, thanks to Big Oil’s deep pockets to fund research into solar panels and solar cells and how to […]