What do oil companies fear more than cheap and clean competition in their dirty fossil business? A jury of American citizens.
In California and across the country from Hawaii to Maine, a growing number of local and state governments fight in court holding oil giants such as Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell and BP accountable for their well written efforts to deceive the public about climate change and “catastrophic events” again “very violent weather” their scientists accurately predicted could be the result if their use of fossil fuel products is not curbed. Like the tobacco and opioid companies, the big oil and gas companies he chose to lie about the damage to their products rather than warning the public about the threat. US taxpayers are now at risk over $1 trillion a year from damage caused by increased fire, floods, droughts, hurricanes and other weather disasters.
But as more courts rule that communities can present their case in front of a judge as to why Big Oil should pay to clean up their pollution, the fossil fuel industry and its allies are doing their best to kill the lawsuits and continue to stick the public with the bill.
In the Oval Office, the Supreme Court and the halls of Congress, fossil fuel interests are urging all three branches of government to help protect corporations from accountability and give Big Oil a get-out-of-jail-free card. Like vaccination efforts pesticide again The AI companies, calls to grant Big Oil immunity should be strongly and vigorously opposed by all who agree that no company or person should be above the law. After the top executives of Big Oil raised their fears on climate charges during a private meeting with President Trump, the president ordered Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi in “take all appropriate steps” to help companies evade justice has been filled groundless charges against the two states and – in short uninvited rare – urged Supreme Court again others stopping corporate cases before they are tried.
This week, after rightfully rejecting five previous petitions over three years, the Supreme Court he agreed hearing Big Oil’s arguments to escape one of those lawsuits — brought by the City and County of Boulder, Colo., wildfire caused by weather destroyed more than 1,000 houses. In granting Exxon Mobil’s request, the judges show them that they are still unclear whether they have the power to process the case before it is submitted to the judges. Rather than simply take their chances in court, oil industry lobbyists and others are circling the justices entirely — urging members of Congress to pass legislation that would bar the courts’ doors to communities and give oil companies complete legal immunity. The American Petroleum Institute, the largest oil and gas trade association, announced that protecting oil companies from “abusive climate lawsuits” is one of the most important and persuasive issues legal framework.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyo.) he says will introduce a bill to protect Big Oil from lawsuits after House Republicans tried unsuccessfully block the District of Columbia in enforcing its consumer protection law “against oil and gas companies for environmental claims.” The bill is likely to be like a “liability shield” for fossil fuel companies by the Republican attorney general’s group, many in the Big Fat pocket, called modeled after the obscene protections provided by Congress gun manufacturers. A long-standing principle in our legal system has always been that if someone hurts you, you have the right to take them to court and file a lawsuit for restitution. I have helped people practice for many years as a trial lawyer, representing victims of bad actors, dangerous products and discrimination in their efforts to protect justice. But now one of the most powerful and dangerous corporate gateways in history is hoping to rig the system so that legal accountability won’t apply to them.
California and other communities deserve their day in court to bring these companies to justice and hold them accountable for the damage they have caused. Judges are the cornerstone of democracy, and it is more than dangerous to allow powerful and wealthy corporations to shield themselves from the judgment of judges. After all, if the fuel industry follows the law, what does it have to fear from the courts?
Jay Inslee is the former governor of Washington and a consultant for the Center for Climate Integrity, which opposes the protectionism of Big Oil.
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An idea
Ideas
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Ideas expressed in the episode
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Oil companies have deliberately misled the public about climate change and the adverse climate effects that their scientists predict will result from fossil fuel use.[4]marketing tactics used by tobacco and opioid companies[1].
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Communities across the country, including California and states from Hawaii to Maine, are pursuing lawsuits against major oil companies for climate damage, and taxpayers currently shoulder more than $1 trillion annually in costs caused by climate-related disasters.[1].
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The fossil fuel industry is actively blocking accountability through a number of channels, including direct appeals to the Trump administration, petitions to the Supreme Court, and efforts to lobby Congress to enact immunity legislation that would prevent communities from accessing the courts.[1][3].
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The American Petroleum Institute and allies in Congress are calling for legislation that would give fossil fuel companies complete immunity from climate liability lawsuits, similar to the protections previously offered to gun manufacturers.[1][3].
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Judges represent a fundamental democratic institution, and allowing powerful corporations to shield themselves from legal accountability undermines the principle that no organization should be above the law.[4].
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If the oil companies operate legally, they should not be afraid to present their case before a judge and should accept the opportunity to defend themselves in court.[1].
Different opinions on the topic
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Supporters of the credit protection law say the bills are needed to protect energy producers from what they see as political harassment against legitimate companies that produce, manufacture, and sell a highly regulated product that works as designed.[1].
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Oil companies argue that climate debt lawsuits are aimed at controlling emissions rather than addressing legal accountability issues, saying the allegations should be made before federal law.[4].
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Proponents of the bill noted that Oklahoma and Utah are oil-producing states where the fossil fuel industry is economically important, suggesting that the law protects a large economic sector.[1][2].
