Well, He Would Say That, Wouldn't He?

Wael Sawan (Head of Oil Company giant, Shell) claimed on the BBC, that cutting the world's oil and gas production would be 'dangerous and irresponsible'. It certainly might be 'dangerous' to Shell's already astronomical profits. It might also be deemed 'irresponsible' for the company's Head not to insist that more fossil fuel extraction was essential. Sawan went on to claim that any cuts would worsen the cost of living crisis and disadvantage poorer nations. He failed to acknowledge that his company profits were partly fuelling the cost of living crisis or that poorer nations suffered most from emissions-driven climate change. Shell invests a token 1.5% of its finances, into renewable energy sources (https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/jul/06/do-shell-chiefs-claims-cutting-oil-output-dangerous-stack-up). 'Well he would say that, wouldn't he?', is the misquoted Mandy Rice-Davies Applies (MRDA) device. Mandy Rice-Davies (a Llanelli girl) was a witness in the 1963 Profumo Affair. When giving evidence in court, she said, responding to a lawyer pointing out that his noble client, denied having an affair or even having met with her, 'well he would, wouldn't he'. The MRDA device is now used as shorthand to signify that someone is an unreliable source. This truism is applied, whenever it's in any accused's self-interest to deny, regardless whether or not that denial is true. Clearly, MRDA to the Head of Shell's self-serving pronouncements. Sadly, he was given a prominent platform on which to make them. His comments appear to have been completely swallowed, in advance, by the current UK government. Europe (which includes the UK), needs to rapidly wean itself off all fossil fuels. It has to move as fast as possible, to completely depending on renewable energy sources. Shell might do better, by dramatically increasing its stake in renewables?