Look whose products are crucial for fighting off Covid-19
WSJ Editorial.
"Anti-carbon activists don’t sleep even during a pandemic, and earlier
this week New York City Council members introduced a resolution to
divest from banks invested in fossil fuels. Perhaps they don’t know that
hand sanitizer and personal protective equipment come from hydrocarbons
synthesized by their arch-villain
Exxon Mobil.
Exxon’s predecessor Standard Oil invented isopropyl alcohol
(IPA), the key ingredient in disinfectants and hand sanitizer, in 1920.
Its Baton Rouge chemical plant is now the world’s largest producer of
IPA. While refineries have been throttled back, Exxon has ramped up IPA
production by 3,000 tons per month, which is enough to produce 50
million four-ounce bottles of sanitizer.
The oil giant recently noted in a press
release that the state of New York has turned to the Baton Rouge plant
for critical supplies. Gov. Andrew Cuomo should be grateful Exxon isn’t
holding a grudge after the state’s four-year inquisition for allegedly
deceiving itself about its climate impact, which finally ended last
December when a state judge tossed the state lawsuit as entirely without
merit.
Exxon is also increasing production of a specialized polypropylene
that is used in medical masks and gowns by about 1,000 tons per month,
which is enough to manufacture up to 200 million medical masks or 20
million gowns. At the same time, it is applying its expertise in
material science to develop new face shields that utilize a filtration
fabric.
Working with
Boeing,
Exxon plans to manufacture as many as 40,000 masks an hour.
According to an Exxon engineer, this new design and production method
won’t be vulnerable to the supply-chain hiccups that have led to
widespread mask shortages. No Defense Production Act coercion necessary.
As for the cries to divest from fossil fuels, oil and gas
generate energy but are also the feedstock for an inestimable number of
essential products. Do liberals want to divest from using those to fight
off the coronavirus?"
Sunday, May 31, 2020
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