Applying generalization to the issue of why people don’t much trust oil companies

It is often best to use a simple model. Input – throughput -output. Not the same as beginning, middle and end, or as thesis, antithesis and synthesis.

In order to get as many aspects of complexity as possible into the input funnel, you should make a long, a very long list of the components of the problem at hand.

Let’s see – why don’t people in general trust oil companies? The short answer could be because these companies have the world over a barrel, with a product everyone needs and without which not much would be moved or made.

The input list, done well, becomes a manifest to – and of – your most sincere attempt to resist jumping to conclusions.

– Crucial product
– Environmental issues
– Treatment of people around their exploration sites
– Dealings with governments not transparent
– Too powerful
– Too profitable
– Big and arrogant
etc

The throughput phase would consist of mixing all these external views of oil companies with their own view of their raison d’être, and with an analysis of what is technically feasible – can fossil fuels become cleaner? What alternatives to oil and gas exist that seem realistic?

And we would need to add socio-political aspects: Would consumers be willing to pay more for other forms of energy, such as wind, solar, biomass? Would consumers be willing to live less comfortably in order to use less fossil fuels? What moves towards transparency would be needed for people to trust oil companies more? What would governments be willing to do in order to fpromote  sustainable alternative energies (i.e. not including nuclear power)?
etc

The output would probably be threefold:

1. People don’t trust oil companies because they object to their grip on a vital area of the economy, and thus their own lives. (jumped-to conclusions aren’t all that wrong, normally)

2. It is unlikely that most people would agree to forego comfort, mobility and new stuff.

3. And technically, there is no quick fix.

So, it is an issue here of technology, policy and behavior – as with so many public issues that could benefit from a dose of applied generalization.