| ConocoPhillips, the fifth largest oil company in the | | | | alternative energy to $150 million and has invested an |
| world, is taking steps to address the problem of | | | | equal amount in methods of capturing carbon dioxide |
| global warming, the first major US oil company to do | | | | emissions. The company is also funding a $22-million |
| so. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Houston, the | | | | project at Iowa State University to develop bio-fuels |
| company is implementing programs to develop | | | | over the next eight years. CEO Mulva says |
| alternative fuels and to reduce emissions of | | | | alternative fuels are unlikely to replace most of the |
| greenhouse gases. | | | | gasoline used in vehicles, but they could be part of a |
| In an statement released this week, ConocoPhillips | | | | more diversified mix of fuels. |
| announced it has joined the US Climate Action | | | | "Gasoline, obviously, is a superior transportation fuel," |
| Partnership, a coalition of corporations trying to | | | | he said. " It is efficient, it is available. But, what we do |
| address the problem of climate change. The company | | | | need to do is develop all sources of alternative |
| also calls for legally binding caps on emissions of | | | | energy. It is relatively small at this time and even |
| gases that many scientists say cause global warming. | | | | with dramatic improvement will continue to represent |
| Search Engine Marketing Specialist | | | | a relatively small portion of our energy source, 10, 20, |
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| affordable rates. | | | | energy." |
| In a recent meeting with reporters at Rice University | | | | But, above all, Mulva says, consumers in the United |
| here in Houston, ConocoPhillips Chief Executive | | | | States need to reduce the amount of energy they |
| Officer James Mulva made it clear that his company | | | | are wasting. |
| was joining the move to address climate change. | | | | "We need to conserve and make far more efficient |
| "We are doing this because we believe in it," said | | | | use of our energy," he said. "The United States, I |
| James Mulva. "We must recognize climate change and | | | | think, we have essentially about four percent of the |
| incorporate it into our facilities and our investment | | | | world's population and we use 25 percent of the |
| program." | | | | world's oil resources. Obviously, we can be far more |
| ConocoPhillips is one of the five major international | | | | efficient users of energy." |
| companies sometimes grouped together as big oil and | | | | Environmental groups agree with that assessment, |
| blamed by many environmental activists for opposing | | | | but many of them favor stronger measures than |
| efforts to address climate change. | | | | those being undertaken by ConocoPhillips. Groups |
| Dallas-based Exxon-Mobil, the world's largest oil | | | | advocating government action to curb greenhouse |
| company, remains strictly focused on petroleum and | | | | gas emissions say the company still lags behind |
| has funded research that questions the human | | | | companies like BP and Shell that have aggressively |
| impact on global warming, but the other members of | | | | developed alternative energies that produce |
| the big oil club, California-based Chevron, | | | | significantly less carbon pollution. Among the fuels |
| London-based BP and the Hague-based Royal Dutch | | | | ConocoPhillips views as alternatives to petroleum are |
| Shell have already begun programs to develop | | | | such things as oil sands and oil shale, which are fossil |
| alternative fuels, including renewable fuels like ethanol | | | | fuels and produce the same amount of carbon |
| and biodiesel. | | | | emissions as oil. |
| ConocoPhillips has doubled research spending on | | | | |