Contributor: Don't let lobbyists win a liability shield for Big Oil
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What do oil companies fear even more than cheaper and cleaner competition to their dirty fossil fuel business? A jury of American citizens.In California and across the nation from Hawaii to Maine, a growing number of state and local governments are fighting in court to hold oil giants like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell and BP accountable for their well-documented efforts to deceive the public about climate change and the “catastrophic events” and “more violent weather” their own scientists accurately predicted would result if the use of their fossil fuel products was not curbed.Like tobacco and opioid corporations, major oil and gas companies chose to lie about the harm of their products rather than warn the public about the threat.
U.S.taxpayers are now on the hook for more than $1 trillion a year in damage caused by worsening fires, floods, droughts, storms and other climate disasters.But as more courts rule that communities can present their case to a jury for why Big Oil should pay to clean up its mess, the fossil fuel industry and its allies are doing everything in their power to kill the cases and keep sticking 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 shield the companies from accountability and give Big Oil a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Like attempts to immunize pesticide and AI companies, the calls to give Big Oil immunity should be loudly and vigorously opposed by all who agree that no corporation or person should be above the law.After Big Oil CEOs raised their fears about climate lawsuits during a private meeting with President Trump, the president ordered Atty.
Gen.Pam Bondi to “take all appropriate action” to help the companies escape justice.
The administration filed baseless lawsuits against two states and — in rare uninvited brie...