Activists interrupt New York Times climate event with protest against oil CEO

A group of activists disrupted an interview with Occidental Petroleum's CEO at a New York Times event, accusing her of "ecocide" and demanding an end to fossil fuels.

Keerti Gopal and Jake Bolster report for Inside Climate News.


In short:

  • Climate Defiance activists protested during an interview with Occidental Petroleum’s CEO, accusing the company of harming the environment.
  • The protest halted the event briefly; 10 demonstrators were arrested by the NYPD.
  • The activists argued that fossil fuel executives shouldn’t be platformed at climate events.

Key quote:

“Climate criminals should not be allowed in polite society. It is outrageous that the New York Times is hosting a fossil fuel CEO at a supposed climate event.”

— Michael Greenberg, Climate Defiance

Why this matters:

Activists are intensifying their actions against fossil fuel companies to raise awareness about greenwashing and the urgent need to transition away from oil and gas. These disruptions signal growing frustration over the perceived lack of meaningful climate action.

Related: Occidental Petroleum's net-zero claims met with skepticism

An illustration of a house with batteries hooked up to rooftop solar panels

A €100 billion queue: Why Europeans are waiting years for clean energy

Providing affordable clean energy to Europeans has become an “absolute obstacle course” due to the continent’s congested grid.
A person's hand holding a gas pump while pumping gas into car

Ferguson rebuffs GOP lawmaker’s call to pause Washington state climate law

Gov. Bob Ferguson is rejecting a lead Republican’s proposal to temporarily suspend Washington’s cap-and-trade program to decrease prices at the pump. 
Elderly white man in a pool drinking from a straw

Summertime is getting more dangerous for people with diabetes

Extreme heat can destabilize glucose control – but millions of Americans can’t afford the air conditioning that could keep them safe, two health experts warn.
An overhead view of a table covered with electronic waste

To complete its green transition, EU should mine its trash

Lithium in old batteries. Cobalt in discarded electronics. The rare earths in retired wind turbines. A landmark EU-funded study finds these buried materials could supply over half of what the clean energy economy will need.
A person inserting a charger into an electric vehicle

The hidden cost of owning an EV: Expensive insurance

Electric vehicle insurance costs an average of 42 percent more than it does for other cars, in part because of their complexity.
An oil drill pump jack against a sunset sky

Toxic ground: Inside Oklahoma’s massive oil field wastewater crisis

Watch how a legacy of oil drilling and regulatory failure destroyed one Oklahoma family’s dream home and contaminated another family’s drinking water.
Hand holding a remote control directed at a wall-mounted mini-split heating unit

DOE restarts home efficiency rebates, and electrification is the biggest loser

New rules for the $8.8 billion in program funding no longer promote electric home heating.
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.