Climate realism, fossil fuel profits, and the moral case for decarbonization

Peter McKillop argues that the push for climate realism is quietly normalizing fossil fuel harm. Drawing on Susan Neiman's book Call It Evil, he makes the case that the worst damage often comes from bland, systemic decisions, not obvious villains. The post cites oil majors making $93 billion in profit during the first quarter of the US-Iran war, and research that traces $28 trillion in extreme heat losses over three decades to major emitters. For anyone tracking carbon markets and clean energy finance, the policy shifts matter as much as the moral argument. The World Bank dropping climate targets, BP cutting renewables to double down on oil, and the steady stream of extreme weather losses all show how realism can become a cover for business as usual. McKillop does not offer a silver bullet, but he reframes the stakes in a way that is useful for debates on fossil fuel phaseout and climate liability.