Environmentally minded social media users seized the opportunity to ridicule the less fortunate after the New York Times published an article on fresh college graduates unable to find jobs in the oil industry because of Covid-19.
In its Sunday article, the New York Times profiled several students and graduates – who studied subjects as varied as petroleum engineering, finance, and geology – who are now struggling to get a foot into the oil industry after it cut back on thousands of jobs amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“Oil companies have laid off more than 100,000 workers. Many businesses have closed refineries, and some have sought bankruptcy protection,” noted the Times, adding that many young people are now “no longer sure that there is a place for them in the industry.”
Though the students who spoke to the Times may have hoped to elicit sympathy, the paper’s readers and social media fans, including environmental activists, delighted in mocking their plight instead.
Thousands dying everyday, hospitals full, millions facing eviction, all while the arctic rapidly transforms into an infinity poolNYT editors: we are really worried about the lack of early career opportunities in the petroleum industry pic.twitter.com/725sDigZD8
No one:Really, no one:NYT: The way to understand the misery of young workers during the pandemic is through a story focusing solely on the disrupted careers specifically in the oil industry.https://t.co/JRSuiPoUid
One journalist – who received over 30,000 likes – wrote that he was “howling” at the young people in question, while others called it“uplifting news” and even suggested those affected should learn to code.
have they thought about learning to code? https://t.co/IsuJUHEoCvpic.twitter.com/0erzkaVPUO
“I hate it when a pandemic disrupts my plans to bake the earth to death,” a user mocked.
“Maybe should’ve studied something with green technology,” commented another.
I hate it when a pandemic disrupts my plans to bake the earth to death
Maybe should’ve studied something with green technology ??♂️
Oh no how will the rising generation of Exxon and Chevron’s corporate VPs weather a delay in their path to leading our continued planetary devastation?https://t.co/LbKs4P5o0S
The Covid-19 pandemic has hit the oil industry the world over, with oil futures at one point selling in negative territory due to lack of demand.
The Pulitzer-Prize winning energy author and IHS Markit vice chairman Daniel Yergin recently predicted that global oil demand will not recover until at least late 2021 or early 2022.
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