NEW YORK (AP) - Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson says that fears about climate change, drilling, and energy dependence are overblown.

In a speech Wednesday, Tillerson acknowledges that burning of fossil fuels is warming the planet, but says society will be able to adapt. The risks of oil and gas drilling are well understood and can be mitigated, he says. And he says dependence on other nations for oil is not a concern as long as access to supply is certain.

Tillerson blames a public that is “illiterate” in science and math, a “lazy” press, and environmental advocacy groups that “manufacture fear” for misconceptions about energy.

Tillerson highlights that huge discoveries of oil and gas in North America have reversed a 20-year decline in U.S. oil production.

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