ExxonMobil has been touting its commitment to “reducing carbon emissions with innovative energy solutions.” Chevron would like to remind you it is keeping the lights on during this dark time. BP is going #NetZero, but is also very proud of the “digital innovations” on its new, enormous oil drilling platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Meanwhile Shell insists it really supports women in traditionally male-dominated jobs.

A casual social media user might get the impression the fossil fuel industry views itself as a social justice warrior, fighting on behalf of the poor, the marginalized, and women—at least based on its marketing material in recent years.

These campaigns fall into what a handful of sociologists and economists call “discourses of delay.” While oil and gas companies have a long track record of denying climate change, even after their own scientists repeatedly warned of the harm caused by burning […]