This Friday, California once again took its place in history as a pioneer among those standing up to the powers that be. It did so on the strength of its own power, with an economy that would have ranked it fifth in the world if it had been an independent country.
Again.
Through its Attorney General Rob Bonta, California filed the lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips and Chevron on Friday in San Francisco Superior Court.
These are the five largest oil companies of the world.
The lawsuit is historic because of its size and because it accuses them of a campaign of deception that began with decades of continuous, relentless, systematic and destructive denial of the reality of climate change and the damage that fossil fuels have caused and continue to cause. evoke, evoke humanity.
Here you can read full text of the California court decision.
As if that weren’t enough, the state is also suing the association that represents it publicly, the American Petroleum Institute.
The upcoming trial will draw the world’s attention to the catastrophes that we are suffering as a result of the actions, or rather inactions, of those responsible, and will show them from the dock. But the lawsuit is also justified because California is suffering more than other states from these consequences.
Because right now? Perhaps because these consequences of climate change are obvious today, and anyone who denies them is exposed as complicit.
Perhaps because we expected, because we were told to expect these results in the more distant future. Not now. Not today. Governor Newsom said this when announcing the environmental damage lawsuit: “These are things we thought we might experience in 2040 and 2050, but they have been pushed into this moment.”
“And now,” he added, “the time has come for responsibility.”
Speaks state government:
“California is already experiencing the impacts of climate change, including observed changes in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events such as more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires, more variable precipitation, and a pattern of droughts that have worsened as temperatures have risen.” . It also mentions flooding, rising sea levels and now Tropical Cyclone Hilary, the first on record to hit the Pacific coast, causing $500 million in losses and the closure of flooded Death Valley National Park. .
Other consequences included damage to crops, water shortages due to drought, and loss of biodiversity, or the diversity of living things. who inhabit the planet.
And then there’s the cost, the tens of billions of dollars the government has already paid to repair the damage, and that’s just a preview of what’s to come. Huge sums mean a diversion of resources that could be spent on the well-being of the population. Instead they were used to satisfy oil companies’ thirst for profit.
Thirst for profit, which makes them responsible.
Thirst for profit that brought success. Because in 2022 companies They showed record profits.
Thus, Exxon Mobil announced a sum of 59.1 billion dollars – an amount that no other private company has ever reached. Shell – 39.9 billion, more than in any other period of its 115 years; Chevron – $36.5 billion, BP (formerly British Petroleum) – $27.7 billion and Conoco Phillips – $17.7 billion.
One of the sources of their profits is the Russian-Ukrainian war, which allowed them to dictate unprecedented prices. Drivers in our country who get to work will be paid in 2022 average $5 per gallon of gas. They profit from the war. The workers pay.
Flush with cash, they use profits to reward shareholders with higher dividends and share buybacks, totaling 110 billion in 2022. Instead of using these fantastic sums to develop alternatives to their harmful products, they downplayed the dangers, promoted fossil fuels as safe, and took almost all the money home.
Almost anything but ridiculous amounts of money to make false advertising and pretend they care and are developing safer products.
At the same time, they funded false research and undermined laws that protected people in many states.
So, For decades they have said: “Scientific uncertainty and evolving energy systems indicate that policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions beyond ‘no regrets’ measures may be premature.”
“There is no immediate need to take drastic action because many scientists agree there is enough time to better understand the climate system.”
And “there is no conclusive or even conclusive scientific evidence that human activities significantly influence sea levels.”
Oil companies weren’t the first. In fact, they were following the model of the tobacco companies, which for decades successfully hid evidence that tobacco kills.
But we know how the tobacco companies ended up: In 1998, 46 states forced them into a settlement that required them to pay $246 billion over 25 years.
“For over 50 years, big oil companies have lied to us, hiding the fact that they have long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet. “It was decades of damage and deception.”
What exactly does Rob Bonta’s lawsuit say? For example, here are the titles of the chapters of the accusation:
If the lawsuit is won and its demands are accepted, then these will be the main demands of the state.
Compel the defendants to reduce the ongoing public harm their actions have caused in California, “including establishing and contributing to a fund to pay their expenses.” Require them to “protect and/or prevent further pollution, degradation, and destruction of California’s natural resources.”
Prohibit them from taking “any false act or making misleading statements, or any act or practice that constitutes unfair competition.”
What was said. There was a time. Other states and local jurisdictions have already sued oil companies, but without much public response. This includes the California counties of Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Marin, as well as the cities of San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Oakland.
But it is the most significant move ever taken against oil companies, given the size of California’s economy and its 40 million people.
So Attorney General Bonta promised: “We will meet the moment and fight tirelessly on behalf of all Californians, especially those living in environmental justice communities.”
California is leading the way, and other states will eventually follow suit.
Source: La Opinion
David Ortiz is an opinionated and well-versed author, known for his thought-provoking and persuasive writing on various matters. He currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker, where he shares his insight and perspective on today’s most pressing issues. David’s unique voice and writing style make his articles a must-read for those seeking a different point of view.