Los Angeles Times

Sept 18, 2023

California is no stranger to fighting climate change with legal battles. But late last week, state officials announced a truly heavyweight match.

Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has filed a lawsuit against five major oil companies and their trade association, alleging their involvement in “a decades-long campaign of deception and creating statewide climate change-related harms in California.”

Bonta said Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP — along with the American Petroleum Institute (API) — have long known “that the burning of fossil fuels leads to climate change — but have fed us lies and mistruths to further their record-breaking profits at the expense of our environment.” read more

Posted by John Donovan August 14, 2023

In a surprising turn of events that caught everyone off guard, the state of Texas has taken the daring step of filing a civil lawsuit against the beloved British oil magnate, Shell. It appears that Shell’s recent fiery spectacle at their Deer Park facility wasn’t just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill industrial mishap – no, it was a display of their exceptional commitment to environmental excellence.

The Texas attorney general has accused Shell of causing a  “significant” amount of environmental damage with their firework show in May. According to court documents, this mesmerizing inferno artfully released an impressive volume of airborne contaminants. Not to mention the graceful pirouette of wastewater into nearby waterways, a clear homage to nature’s water cycle, but with a modern twist. read more

POSTED BY JOHN DONOVAN JULY 23, 2023

Oh, the magnanimity of Shell, the oil giant with a heart of gold!

Brace yourself for some heartwarming news, folks. Shell, the same company notorious for polluting the environment and exceeding emission limits, is now giving away a staggering $5 million! Wow, what a charitable gesture! But don’t get too excited. This tiny donation is just a fraction of the $10 million fine the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) slapped on Shell’s wrist for its reckless environmental violations. With some fancy PR spin, Shell claims this paltry sum will be used for “environmental and quality-of-life projects” in Beaver County. But is this a true act of remorse, or merely a clever attempt to polish Shell’s tarnished image? read more

Posted 16 June 2023 by John Donovan

Oh, how thrilling it must be to witness the enchanting billowing toxic smoke courtesy of Shell’s Deer Park chemical plant! Residents in Houston were overjoyed when their air quality was already terrible on May 5.

Carolyn Stone, a lucky Channelview resident, even had the pleasure of experiencing a splitting headache due to the delightful poisonous atmosphere.

But wait, the excitement didn’t end there! A fire suddenly erupted at Shell’s plant.

Stone received a call from a friend who couldn’t contain their enthusiasm, urging her to look outside. Oh, the joy!

Within minutes, a majestic column of black smoke emerged, dancing gracefully over the tree line, making its way toward Stone. What a spectacle!

Meanwhile, Deer Park resident Joe Robles IV was eagerly driving home from work near the Shell facility when he received thrilling texts from friends and family. How fortunate! His first instinct was to secure his son’s front-row seat to the spectacle and whisk him away to a safer location. read more

The seismic activity caused by this relentless extraction has led to the destruction of over 85,000 homes, leaving countless families displaced and their lives shattered.

Posted 10 June 2023 by John Donovan

The Groningen gasfield, boasting a colossal 2.8 billion cubic meters, stands as a testament to the insatiable greed of Shell and Exxon Mobil, the companies jointly responsible for its management. With the extraction operations by their joint venture company NAM spanning over 60 years, these oil giants have raked in huge profits, leaving a trail of destruction and misery in their wake.

In a stunning display of disregard for human safety and the environment, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte now faces mounting calls for his resignation as evidence emerges of his government’s decision for NAM to proceed with gas extraction in the northern Netherlands, fully aware that it would result in devastating earthquakes.

Despite mounting evidence of the cataclysmic consequences, Rutte’s government shamelessly continued to exploit the gasfield, leaving the people of the region to suffer the consequences. The seismic activity caused by this relentless extraction has led to the destruction of over 85,000 homes, leaving countless families displaced and their lives shattered.

Even in the face of overwhelming evidence and pleas from experts, Rutte stubbornly defended his government’s actions. It was only in 2018, when a monstrous earthquake measuring 3.6 on the Richter scale struck the town of Huizinge, that Rutte finally acknowledged the magnitude of the problem. But his belated realization does little to absolve him of the years of lies and disregard for the rights and safety of the people of Groningen. read more

Dealing with their customer service is something akin to torture with endless recorded messages and options before you end up speaking to a person. They then end up transferring you from one person to another…

Shell Energy Broadband Reviews recently posted on broadband.co.uk

Reviewer Oliver Dickens: Location Cambridgshire: Date 2023-04-24

Comments

If I could give their customer service a negative rating a would.

As a previous post office customer, I decided to upgrade to a full fiber package in early January 2023- I was repeatedly given different installation dates. Finally on the 21 March I was given a confirmed date for the Openreach engineer to arrive. Suffice to say nobody arrived on the agreed date. Subsequently 2 more engineer visits resulted in a line being installed-but still no internet service. As of the 24th of April(more than 3 months) they managed to achieve nothing. read more

Posted by John Donovan:

19 May 2023

Shell, the paragon of corporate responsibility, finds itself in the midst of an investor rebellion because of baseless claims that it is scaling back its bold plans to achieve net zero targets.

The noble Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), Britain’s preeminent private pension fund, has vowed to vote against the re-election of the illustrious Sir Andrew Mackenzie as chairman. Why, you may ask? Well, apparently the audacious accusation is that Shell is not doing enough to reduce its carbon footprint. How dare they besmirch Shell’s good name? read more

Shell’s “Climate-Friendly” Strategy Under Fire: ClientEarth’s Claim to Proceed, Because Who Cares About the Planet?

In a stunning display of corporate accountability, ClientEarth has been granted an oral hearing to pursue its derivative action claim against Shell, the notorious polluting giant. It seems like the courts are willing to entertain the idea that Shell might actually be responsible for something other than destroying the environment.

To the dismay of those seeking justice, the High Court of England and Wales initially denied permission for the lawsuit. But fear not! An oral hearing has been generously bestowed upon us, where ClientEarth will have the audacity to ask the judge to reconsider his decision. How noble of them! read more

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell Faces Lawsuit Over Blatant Air Pollution Violations at Cracker Plant

Shell is being hit with a federal lawsuit for its relentless breaches of permitted air pollution limits at its ethane cracker plant in Beaver County. Attorneys from the Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council have taken legal action against Shell, highlighting the company’s repeated disregard for air quality regulations.

According to the lawsuit filed with the U.S. District Court for Western Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection has issued a shocking twelve violation notices related to air quality since January 2022. Additionally, Shell has submitted nearly forty malfunction reports during that time, yet the state has failed to take any meaningful enforcement actions or impose penalties on the company. read more

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell Faces Federal Lawsuit for Repeatedly Polluting the Air

Oil giant Shell is under fire as an environmental group launches a federal lawsuit, accusing the company’s plant in Beaver County of flagrantly disregarding air pollution limits.

The Environmental Integrity Project and Clean Air Council are demanding severe penalties and an immediate cessation of what they denounce as Shell’s illegal release of smog-forming pollutants from the Monaca plant. read more

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell: Lawsuit Filed Against Oil Giant Over Severe Worker Injuries

DEER PARK, Texas — Shell Chemical L.P. faces a $1 million lawsuit following a catastrophic release and fire that resulted in injuries to numerous workers on May 5.

The lawsuit, filed by the attorneys at Arnold and Itkin, accuses Shell of gross negligence, premises liability, and clear-cut negligence that led to significant injuries suffered by Cristobal Jasso. Burns, along with injuries to Jasso’s neck, back, spine, and other parts of his body, were sustained as a direct consequence of Shell’s irresponsibility. read more

Posted by John Donovan: 12 May 2023

Shell’s Deceptive Claims: Downplaying the Consequences of the Deer Park Fire

The recent inferno at Shell’s petrochemical plant in Deer Park unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke that engulfed the Houston area, leaving experts to question the true extent of the damage caused.

Astonishingly, despite mounting evidence, the oil giant continues to deny any danger to the neighbouring community, conveniently sidestepping their responsibility. But this time, residents, advocates, and experts refuse to be fooled by their reassurances. read more

REUTERS

Nigerians accuse Shell of delay in oil spill London lawsuits

LONDON, April 4 (Reuters) – Shell Plc (SHEL.L) is attempting to shield itself from scrutiny over pollution in Nigeria’s oil-producing Niger Delta, lawyers representing more than 13,000 Nigerians argued at London’s High Court on Tuesday, allegations which the company strongly denies.

Thousands of members of the Bille and Ogale communities are suing Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary SPDC over oil spills.

Shell strongly denies any liability and argues that parts of the cases were brought too late. read more

CITYA.M.

Shell lawsuit: Institutional investors back legal challenge over climate risk

CITY AM REPORTER: SATURDAY 11 FEBRUARY 2023

A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell’s board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.

Client Earth, an environmental law charity turned activist Shell investor, said it had filed a High Court claim on Wednesday, alleging Shell’s 11 directors have failed to manage the “material and foreseeable” risks posed to the company by climate change – and that they are breaking company law. read more

The New York Times

A Lawsuit Against Big Oil Gets Personal

An activist group is going after Shell’s board members in court. The suit could make life unpleasant for the people who oversee big polluters.

By Somini Sengupta: Feb. 10, 2023

Is it risky to invest in oil and gas? Or is it risky not to?

Recent developments offer evidence of both. I want to unpack those developments today to better understand the future of petroleum in our lives.

On Thursday, the members of the board of directors of Shell, the oil giant, were sued in an English court. An activist group called ClientEarth, which is also a Shell shareholder, alleged that the board members are personally liable for failing to manage climate hazards. It’s the first such liability case against a company board and, depending on how it goes, it could make serving on an oil company board far riskier. read more

BBC NEWS

Why are BP, Shell, and other oil giants making so much money right now?

By Ben King

Business reporter, BBC News: 11 Feb 2023

The big oil companies – from the UK-based BP and Shell to international giants such as ExxonMobil and Norway’s Equinor – have been announcing astonishing profit figures.

They are all benefitting from the surging price of oil and gas following the invasion of Ukraine.

While they rake in the profits, people around the world are struggling to pay their energy bills and fill up their cars – leading to calls for higher taxes on these companies.

So how are they making so much money, and should the government step in to stop them? read more