WASHINGTON — The chief executive of the world's fifth-largest oil company endorsed tougher fuel economy standards for cars and trucks Sunday, underscoring higher gas prices' potential to change the political equation on an issue that has long stalemated the capital.
"There's been enough finger-pointing for a long period of time that we need to improve the efficiency of transportation fuels," said James J. Mulva, chairman and chief executive of ConocoPhillips.
Mulva spoke during an unusual joint interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" with the chief executives of Chevron Corp. and Shell Oil Co.
Environmentalists are pushing for new votes in the House and Senate on higher fuel economy standards, which have been blocked for years by opposition from vehicle manufacturers and the United Auto Workers union.
"I think we have reached an important point in the debate when an oil executive calls for better fuel economy for vehicles," said Dan Becker, director of the global warming program of the Sierra Club.
"It's like a tobacco executive calling for reduced smoking. The shame is that the head of Conoco is far ahead of the Congress and the president."
The three executives appearing on "Meet the Press" defended the enormous profits the industry was raking in this year and pressed for increased access to domestic oil reserves barred to exploration because of environmental concerns.
"If we're going to be more independent, we're going to have to address the tough, tough question of, should we allow more oil and gas development here in this country?" said David O'Reilly, chairman and chief executive of Chevron Corp., the nation's second-largest oil company. "If we don't, then we're headed in the wrong direction."
In particular, O'Reilly urged increased exploration on the outer continental shelf, just off U.S. coastlines. Congress, fearing environmental damage, has placed most of those areas off-limits to drilling since the Reagan administration. But congressional Republicans have mounted a renewed drive to permit greater exploration for offshore oil and natural gas.
The Chevron chief acknowledged that offshore drilling "is a very sensitive issue for the American people" but said technological advances had reduced the environmental risks that prompted the ban.
"Today's technology allows us to do it with much less of a footprint and in a much safer and environmentally sound way," he said.
