Earth Matters: Calif. case against deceptive Big Oil could be definitive; UAW strike could be, too

The Golden State was a pioneer decades ago in curbing toxic air pollution from tailpipe emissions. Since then California has been in the lead among the states on a whole range of policies designed to curb greenhouse gas pollution, including a ban on new sales of gasoline-powered cars (by 2035) and locomotives and diesel-powered trucks (by 2036).

The state, however, has not been at head of the queue when it comes to taking on oil companies over lying for decades about the damaging impacts of extracting and burning fossil fuels. Some 40 other states have already done so. So has New York City. On Sept. 15, California, the seventh largest oil-producing state, joined them with its own 135-page lawsuit. Some of those previous lawsuits have laid the groundwork for this one. It’s going to be the case where we find out whether we will be allowed to squeeze out some billions of dollars in reparations. Not that anything short of trillions would actually cover the harm. Whatever is decided, the case will be in the courts for years.

According to the brief, oil giants ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and BP have known for more than 60 years that carbon emissions from continuing to extract and burn fossil fuels would cause  the planet to warm. But as investigative reporters revealed eight years ago, instead of sounding the alarm, they kept quiet until serious people started seriously talking about doing something serious to curb these emissions. Then, in the words of authors Erik M. Conway and Naomi Oreskes, the oil men became “merchants of doubt,” telling lies and also paying big bucks to propaganda fronts and individuals to do more lying. Also named in the lawsuit is the American Petroleum Institute (API), the industry’s lying trade association.