Honolulu’s climate lawsuit is an existential threat to Big Oil. So they’re buying Republican attorneys general to defend them in court.
by Arielle Samuelson and Emily Atkin, Heated
At the Society of Environmental Journalists conference this year, we heard about a promising legal case that experts believe actually has a real shot at holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate change.
City & County of Honolulu v. Sunoco LP is the first climate liability lawsuit against fossil fuel companies to be greenlit for trial, expected later this year. In it, Honolulu accuses several oil and gas giants of misleading its citizens about the environmental consequences of fossil fuels for decades, and seeks financial compensation for past, present, and future damages to the region.
As a trial comes closer, however, we learned that the lawsuit is facing more and more serious obstacles. Most notably, last week, a plethora of fossil fuel-funded groups–including the American Petroleum Institute–filed petitions asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and stop the trial from moving forward.
In addition, a whopping 20 Republican state attorneys general also filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to do the same. So it’s not just industry groups: nearly half of the country’s chief legal officers are asking the nation’s top court to intervene in a local government’s climate lawsuit.
Recent Posts
Reflections On Student Activism
May 16, 2024
Take Action Now William Hartung, Democracy Versus Autocracy on America’s Campuses By William D. Hartung, Tom Dispatch I’ve spent most of my…
A Whistleblower’s Return To The World.
May 15, 2024
Take Action Now This was to be my first trip abroad in a very long time, certainly the first time since being released from prison. By Jeffrey…
Only Our Enemies Commit War Crimes
May 15, 2024
Take Action Now A half-baked report highlights the double standard US officials use for Israel By Connor Echols, Responsible Statecraft On NBC’s…
NATO Spreads Nuclear Weapons, Energy, And Risk
May 15, 2024
Take Action Now NATO calls itself a “nuclear alliance” and maintains a “Nuclear Planning Group” for all of its members — those with and those…