An irony is that Big Oil saved whales from becoming extinct.

Whales were hunted to provide the world with lubricants and as a fuel source for lighting.

Big Oil in the US got its start producing kerosene for lighting. It was a bit later that crude became a basis for transportation fuel.

The oil from the Sperm Whale continued to be an additive used in premium heavy lube oils up until the 1970s, until better additives were developed.