Fossil Fuel Giants Deceive Public, Now Face Climate Lawsuits Nationwide

Decades of Deceit: What the Companies Knew

Internal reports confirm that fossil fuel companies were aware in the 1970s of their products' possible devastating impact on the climate. For example, a 1980 presentation to the American Petroleum Institute admitted that global warming produced by fossil fuels would have "major economic consequences" with possible "globally catastrophic effects." These companies ignored this information in favor of profits over environmental stewardship.

Rather than moving against the looming crisis, fossil fuel interests initiated campaigns to cast doubt on climate science. They supported think tanks, lobbied for environmental regulations and disseminated disinformation. This approach is similar to strategies already used by the tobacco industry to discredit the health consequences of smoking.

Legal Battles Around the United States

The disclosure of these dishonest strategies has set off a tsunami of lawsuits throughout the country. Cities, states, and municipalities are suing the biggest fossil fuel giants for racketeering, climate damage, and fraud. The suits argue that the corporations' deliberate disinformation tactics have slowed down climate action and worsened the consequences of global warming.

Colorado’s Supreme Court recently allowed Boulder and Boulder County to sue ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy over fossil fuel deception. The plaintiffs argue these companies misled the public about fossil fuels’ environmental impacts and their role in local climate damage.

California has sued major oil companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, and Chevron for decades of misleading the public about fossil fuels. This lawsuit is one of the most significant legal actions against the oil and gas industry for its role in climate change.

Greenwashing and Public Deception

The fossil fuel sector has misled the public about its environmental commitment by spreading false information and engaging in greenwashing. For example, authorities sued Energy Australia over its "Go Neutral" campaign, which promoted carbon-neutral power and gas through the purchase of carbon offsets. Before it went to trial, the firm settled the matter, knowing the offsets did not eliminate the environmental effects of fossil fuel usage.

These incidents are typical of the ongoing efforts by fossil fuel corporations to project an image of environmental friendliness while keeping policies that damage the Earth. This greenwashing is confusing customers and undercutting actual attempts to combat global warming.