Why saying “70% of emissions are caused by 100 companies” is so fucking stupid and wrong

[Red]

*This is a script to a video I'm working on.

If you are involved in the climate change discussion, there’s a good chance you’ve heard the statistic: 71% of Greenhouse gas emissions are caused by 100 companies. On the surface, this seems pretty damning and just serves as more proof that individuals have little impact on climate and it’s all about holding corporations accountable. Another interesting thing about it is that this statistic is the biggest crock of shit I have ever heard in my fucking life.

Now I already addressed this in an earlier video but since this bullshit line is still making rounds I figured I might as well make a video directly addressing it, and hopefully undo some of the ignorance that has been afflicted upon the internet as a result of the continued usage of this statistic. It’s so widely touted it’s gotten to the point that Snopes and recently Politifact had to address it.

First off, I should clarify in typical sensationalist fashion, that this line comes from an article is a misunderstanding of a study conducted or more likely, deliberately misreported, journalists don’t give a shit either way, and as it’s always been on the internet people are glad to just read the title of the of the article and tout it without context. The title that it has, “Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions” is misleading on so many levels that I’m not even sure where to begin.

I mean hell, calling this statement misleading is generous; If you ask me, this is just flat out wrong. Why? Because that wasn’t even the conclusion of the study; The actual conclusion of the study was that 100 corporations are responsible for 71% of *industrial* emissions, not emissions wholesale. There are emissions not included in that, such as agricultural,
Including all emissions, these corporations are responsible for roughly half of all them. Sure, even that’s still significant, but there’s still more to it.

Let’s also take into account that many of the companies included in this list are not even western. Looking at the top ten, only two of them are in Western countries, and only one of them is in the top five. You really think countries like China and Saudi Arabia give a shit about what overly-priveleged first worlders want?

If all these corporations were to shut down their operations tomorrow, that isn’t going to eliminate our energy needs. If they aren’t replaced with something else, millions of people will die, and for those that don’t, life would be a miserable existence. Fighting climate change as far as energy is concerned shouldn’t be about stopping corporations, it should be about stopping usage of fossil fuels and shifting over to clean forms of energy, particularly nuclear energy hint hint.

Lemme ask, why do you think these corporations are releasing so many green house gases? For the fun of it? You don’t think giving them money incentivises them to burn more coal? I know, you’re just an individual, your actions don’t matter. Funny thing to say, since I guarantee you, that’s what everyone else is thinking too. You don’t think that millions of people taking hot showers everyday, driving cars, blasting heat and AC, doesn’t add up a little? I understand how it's hard to think that as a consumer you aren't affecting anything, but as an old quote I like goes, no snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible.

This sort of mentality that consumers aren’t responsible for climate change does not exactly instill confidence within me about this impending ecological crisis. I’m pretty skeptical of a person who claims that climate change is an issue yet refuses to take any responsibility for it, and plugs their ears in the face of evidence. To me, that doesn’t seem like someone who is concerned about climate change, it more seems to be a stubborn person who wants to think they’re part of a noble cause and wants to feel good about it, without needing to actually do anything. If such a person did truly give a shit, they would change their behavior when shown that they’re wrong.

The world needs people like you to give a shit. Not give lip service, actually take some fucking matters into your own hands, that doesn’t involve sitting around waiting for the government to fix all the issues that are going on, cause hey, that’s why we have a government, right? Look, it’s cool and all to want to hold corporations accountable or whatever, and yeah, I agree that the government should step in; Don’t let me give you the impression I think that it’s completely on the individuals. But let’s not pin every last fucking problem on corporations, and recognize that some things are simply our fault, cause we ain’t as sinless as we think.

[Jamie in Chile]

I think I mostly disagree

I think it´s useful to realize the power of big companies

they should pass a law require any fossil company or any company above a certain size to cut its emissions by a certain percentage

I think it would help a lot

of course that wouldn´t solve anything or absolve people of personal responsibility, but it would help