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Norwegian Pot Calls Canadian Kettle Black...

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  • Norwegian Pot Calls Canadian Kettle Black...

    A good example of how convoluted the logic and thinking can often become among the reality-insulated, pointy-headed civil service class.

    "Ethical" investing rules are perfectly fine [I applaud the decision not to own a producer of cluster munitions], but let's apply them consistently and without hypocrisy.

    After all, this is a fund that was created in very large part by retained profits from mineral extraction. In this case the mineral being oil. A good deal of it from the earnings of state controlled Statoil. A company so enlightened that it continues to operate in such environmentally-conscious and socially just jurisdictions as Nigeria.

    Must be a cold winter in Oslo...seems some brain cells may have temporarily frozen.
    Norway oil fund expels Textron, Barrick Gold

    Fri Jan 30, 2009 6:31am EST
    OSLO, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Norway's $300 billion plus sovereign wealth fund has excluded U.S. weapons producer Textron Inc (TXT.N) and Canadian mining group Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO) for ethical reasons...

    ...She said Barrick Gold's exclusion was "based on the assessment that investing in the company entails an unacceptable risk of the fund contributing to serious environmental damage."...

    ...Barrick, the world's largest gold miner, joins South Africa's DRD Gold (DRDJ.J), India-focused Vedanta Resources (VED.L) and U.S. group Freeport McMorRan (FCX.N) among miners removed from Norway's investment fund for environmental reasons...


  • #2
    Re: Norwegian Pot Calls Canadian Kettle Black...

    That would be a good point if they're boycotting all gold mining companies. Are they, though, or are they singling out Barrick and the others for their particular record? If the latter, Norway's action may be defensible.

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    • #3
      Re: Norwegian Pot Calls Canadian Kettle Black...

      Originally posted by nitroglycol View Post
      That would be a good point if they're boycotting all gold mining companies. Are they, though, or are they singling out Barrick and the others for their particular record? If the latter, Norway's action may be defensible.
      According to the article they have not blacklisted Barrick, Vendanta, DRD, and Freeport. Do you really think that this growing list of companies has an environmental record that is that different from the rest of their industry - who operate in the same jurisdictions and under the same regulations.

      Do you really think that Statoil, working in places like Nigeria and the Canadian oil sands, has an environmental record that is whiter-than-white compared to, say, Exxon, BP, Total or Shell?

      I watched this scene for many years, through the Brent Spar debacle and Talisman's exit from Sudan, and never cease to be amazed at the hypocrisy exhibited by both sides.

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      • #4
        Re: Norwegian Pot Calls Canadian Kettle Black...

        Well, if Statoil is working in Nigeria and the oil sands, then yes, it is hypocritical. Didn't know that detail.

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