California sues oil titans, saying they deceived the public on climate change
Fossil feud… California sued ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, and the American Petroleum Institute trade association, saying that they knew the risks of fossil fuels as early as the 1950s. The suit alleges that they downplayed the danger of climate change and spread disinformation to undermine climate scientists. Picture: oil company ads with copy like “The most catastrophic thing about global warming is — it may not be true” and “Apocalypse no.”
Overdue: CA wants fossil fuel companies to help foot the bill for increasingly common climate catastrophes by financing a new fund that’ll help pay for the fallout.
Major natural disasters cost the US $165B last year, and CA’s drought and heat wave was the nation’s second-most-expensive disaster at $22B.
Drilling in… Climate-related legal battles have been piling up as advancements in attribution science (aka: whodunit tools) supply sturdier evidence to bring to court. The Golden State joins seven states, 36 municipalities, and DC in suing Big Oil over climate damages. CA’s massive economy, plus its status as a major oil and gas producer, could inspire others to join in as existing cases move through slow-as-sludge courts.
Not unlike: Most US states sued Big Tobacco in the 1990s, seeking damages for a deadly crisis amplified by corporate disinformation. Tobacco companies eventually settled with 46 states and agreed to pay them $246B over 25 years.
No one wants to get stuck with the climate bill… Energy companies have been accused of “greenwashing” in recent years, making climate-friendly pledges while financially depending on fossil fuels. As oil profits keep pouring in, CA Gov. Gavin Newsom emphasized that taxpayers shouldn’t be on the hook for the climate crisis (especially as insurance companies limit their coverage). Shell and Chevron said climate enforcement shouldn’t be decided by local courts, but through public policy.