Meet the New Boss, Slightly Less Irascible Than the Old Boss

New Exxon chair mouths same old wheeze in a breezier style

Watch for new ExxonMobil Chair Rex Tillerson to lighten up the company's communication style, but don't expect any substantial changes in how the world's largest publicly traded petro-corp responds to global warming. "We recognize that climate change is a serious issue," Tillerson told The New York Times, going on to defend the company's record on energy alternatives. But he added that there is "still significant uncertainty around all of the factors that affect climate change." Oil, for instance! And he said President Bush's "addicted to oil" phrase was "an unfortunate choice of words." Enviros call Exxon's culture "prehistoric" and a serious barrier to action on climate disruption. "They have too much money; they are too powerful," said Greenpeace's Kert Davies. "Without Exxon pulling with the rest of the world, it will take longer to solve global warming."