BP made an incredible achievement.

March 11, 2002 3:40 PM

BP made an incredible achievement. I originally heard this on NPR and thought it was worth sharing.
posted by BlueTrain (17 comments total)

I remember when BP was putting on emission reduction equipment near where I live, Houston, TX. It was refreshing that they were doing it despite it not being mandated by law. While other refineries find it cheaper to lobby our lawmakers instead of taking similar action without a fight.

I like the fact they said it did not affect their bottom line, I hope it will inspire other corporations to do things because it is responsible, not because they have to.
posted by dancu at 4:19 PM on March 11, 2002

from the speech:
That's why we set our own target - to reduce our own emissions of greenhouse gases by 10 per cent from a 1990 base line by the year 2010. That was broadly in line with the Kyoto targets, and based on the presumption that at some point in the future those targets or something similar would be converted into mandated objectives.

suckers.
posted by boltman at 4:59 PM on March 11, 2002

BP's acquisition of Amoco in 1999 brought in a huge array of 'green' research projects, both solo and joint ventures.

One of the gadgets I remember fondly is a petrol dispenser modification that exchanges gasses (air and evaporated fuel) in the vehicle tank for petrol from the underground tank, making the fueling process a (mostly) closed system. it prevented a suprisingly large quantity of gasoline fumes from escaping into the atmosphere.

Sadly, I haven't seen any new installations of these crop up at Amoco or BP sites in Kansas or Missouri (There are no Amoco or BP retail sites in Oklahoma, where I live).

Amoco also had a big investment in solar energy research. I wonder where that has taken them lately?

[full disclosure: I worked in Amoco's IT Operations for twelve years]
posted by willconsult4food at 5:06 PM on March 11, 2002

The BP station near me is not only clean and well lighted, it also serves good quality coffee and keeps copies of the Sunday paper on sale through mid-week.

Check out this solar powered gas station. Maybe BP will be the first to offer biodiesel too! [Disclosure: I live in OH but am not affiliated with BP]
posted by sheauga at 5:44 PM on March 11, 2002

I was disappointed to hear that BP was buying Amoco when I heard it, but my new Amoco-BP station still serves up some fine gasoline.

I am glad to hear that they are being such good corporate citizens... maybe Exxon could take a note. I haven't used their gas since Valdez, or more importantly, their slow-ass reaction and corporate shinanigans following it.
posted by hotdoughnutsnow at 6:23 PM on March 11, 2002

Before reading the linked article I thought it was about BP ceasing to giving polital contributions which I have to reluctantly acknowledge is also a good thing.
posted by rdr at 6:24 PM on March 11, 2002

One time I went to BP and bought to 3 muskateers and smooshed them together and I totally doubled the nougat. But it was a whole other, greater experience than the two bars. A sweet gestalt phenomena.
posted by Settle at 6:42 PM on March 11, 2002

Amoco also had a big investment in solar energy research. I wonder where that has taken them lately?

I dunno, but the BP/Amoco down the street from me has an assload of solar panels on the roof and a digital readout thingy by the door that tells you how much juice the panels are generating at any given moment.... that's pretty cool in my book.
posted by spilon at 7:43 PM on March 11, 2002

Chief executive Lord Browne
I want Lord as my first name!

I haven't been to BP in ages. The one closest to me was on a very busy intersection and was asking to get killed pulling out. Plus, it closed down last year...I don't even know where the closest BP to me is. I also have 2 QuickTrips close to me where the gas is at least 5 cents cheaper than anyplace else.
posted by jmd82 at 8:01 PM on March 11, 2002

The Amoco stations in my town have not been rebadged to BP yet, but when I visited Indiana and saw the rebranded Amoco stations into BP stations, I couldn't help but wonder if BP would have been as well received in the heartlands if they had gone with their full name of British Petroleum.
posted by gyc at 12:12 AM on March 12, 2002

I hate to upset the PR machine, but I think it should be pointed out that BP have got quite a history to make up for, and this cynic won't be too quick to trust them. What was it Chuck D said?
posted by stuporJIX at 1:54 AM on March 12, 2002

It is an incredible achievement. Perhaps it's time we abandoned simplistic thinking, i.e. oil companies=bad, and gave our suspicious minds a rest.

Here in Portugal the new BP stations have been up for a while now and they are extraordinarily pleasant places. Another thing that deserves praise - after all the criticism they drew for spending millions on their redesign - is the way they've managed to shed their somewhat imperialistic British Petroleum persona and become as international as possible.
posted by MiguelCardoso at 2:47 AM on March 12, 2002

well this news helps me in deciding where to buy petrol.
also, when my friend says 'they are all the same', i wont have to reply 'some are worse than others', i can now reply 'some are not as bad as the others'.
this is in line with bp's ethical profile, which is nice.
here is a chart of different petrol companies and what activities they get up to...(large, i know, but informative)


posted by asok at 4:01 AM on March 12, 2002

According to the chart above, BP is one of the worst polluters. But even if it was one of the best, buying gas at BP still wouldn't make it good to waste gas.

I'll like BP better when it pushes for higher gas taxes.
posted by pracowity at 4:37 AM on March 12, 2002

stuporJIX said: I hate to upset the PR machine, but I think it should be pointed out that BP have got quite a history to make up for, and this cynic won't be too quick to trust them. What was it Chuck D said?

Pretty much every company from your local dry cleaners to your massive multinational engages in come sort of PR (ranging in scale from sponsoring the local little-league team to visibly promoting socially responsible actions). I have no doubt that part of BP's strategy is to shine its image. The solar-roofed gas stations (there are several here in the Cleveland area, former home of BP America) are but one example of making a strong statement to the public. However, they also recognize the mining fossil fuels is not sustainable and that if they parlay themselves into an "energy" company rather than an oil company (yet another reason not to call themselves "British Petroleum") and get the jump on other major companies regarding sustainable energy, then this makes financial sense to the company and its shareholders.

So, while this is definitely part of a larger PR plan, I am not going to begrudge a company wishing to make money, especially if it is one of the largest global companies that research solar energy. Their actions help to legitimize the sustainable energy movement and brings this issue straight to the people/consumers.
posted by Avogadro at 5:42 AM on March 12, 2002

let them have all the PR they want. if they start gaining market share for these actions, more power to them.

can you image what would happen if these sort of actions became trendy? companies would be falling over themselves to reduce their emissions and create gas stations that run on hydrogen and two hamsters -- solar powered robot hamsters.
posted by o2b at 6:06 AM on March 12, 2002

more comparisons at Pick Your Poison: An Environmentalist's Guide to Gasoline. Categories include black marks, green initiatives, global warming stance, and refining record. Corporations include BP, ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, Citgo, Texaco, Chevron, Sunoco, Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, Conoco, Tosco (76, Circle K), and Phillips Petroleum.
posted by Dean King at 10:44 AM on March 12, 2002