The worldwide movement to name major weather events after energy comanies is taking the world by storm.

Here comes Hurricane Tesla – and it’s fully charged!

There is a growing movement—primarily among climate activists and some commentators—to name storms, especially hurricanes and other climate-related disasters, after major fossil fuel companies. The idea is to highlight the role these corporations have played in contributing to climate change, which is linked to more frequent and intense extreme weather events.

Currently, tropical storms and hurricanes are named by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the National Hurricane Center using rotating lists of short, distinctive, and easy-to-remember names, alternating between male and female names. This system, adopted in the 1950s, was designed to reduce confusion and streamline communication, making it easier for the public, media, and emergency responders to track and discuss storms.

A storm’s been brewing in energy company boardrooms for years.

The campaign to name storms after energy companies—such as “Hurricane Exxon,” “Wildfire Chevron,” or “Heatwave Shell”—is intended to shift public perception and assign blame for climate disasters to the corporations most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Proponents argue that fossil fuel companies have long known about the catastrophic impacts of their products on the climate but have continued to promote fossil fuel use and lobby against climate action. Internal documents from companies like Shell, for example, show that their own scientists predicted increased storm severity and public backlash as far back as the 1990s.

This naming proposal is not official policy and has not been adopted by meteorological organizations. However, it has gained traction as a form of protest and public awareness campaign, with petitions and commentaries urging agencies like the WMO and NOAA to consider it. The idea is also sometimes presented with humor or irony, but many advocates are serious about its potential to spark conversation and accountability around climate change.

Hurricane Chevron? I knew gas prices were high, but I didn’t expect them to blow me away!

The primary organization currently pushing for the change to name climate disasters—including storms, wildfires, heatwaves, droughts, and floods—after fossil fuel companies is 350.org. This climate advocacy group has launched a petition urging the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to adopt this naming convention as a way to highlight the responsibility of fossil fuel companies for climate impacts.