Dana Drugmand

Citing "catastrophic climate effects," Maine joins in litigation against oil companies

By Dana Drugmand Maine on Tuesday became the latest government entity to bring legal claims against several major oil and gas companies, alleging the companies and their chief trade association, the American Petroleum Institute, have deliberately misled the public about the climate consequences of burning fossil fuels.

"We Need Justice": Vanuatu Set To Testify Before World Court Following Disappointing COP29 Outcome

Starting next week on December 2, the world's highest court - the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - will hear the biggest case in its history in a highly anticipated climate justice proceeding. The case centers around the legal obligations of the world's nations to protect the climate system and

A call for EPA action on climate risks to hazardous waste facilities

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should be doing more to help address potential climate change-related risks to hundreds of hazardous waste facilities across the country, according to a recent government watchdog report. The Nov.

Who Is Lee Zeldin?

Trump's pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency has greens worried

Court Reverses Historic Climate Verdict Against Shell

Shell succeeds on appeal, but still has legal responsibility to limit its emissions. In a clear setback for climate campaigners, a court in the Netherlands on Tuesday reversed a landmark 2021 judicial ruling requiring Shell, one of the biggest oil and gas producers in the world, to cut CO2 emissions

Dutch Court Set To Rule In Appeal Of Landmark Climate Court Case Verdict Against Shell

The Hague Court of Appeal in the Netherlands will issue its much-anticipated decision this week in the landmark climate case Miliuedefensie et al. v. Shell, which saw climate campaigners win a historic verdict against the oil major in May 2021 that Shell has since appealed. The appeals court's ruling

What A Trump Second Term Signals For Climate Court Clashes

With Donald Trump's victory in this year's US presidential election, the courts will continue to be an important arena to watch in terms of efforts to both safeguard and weaken climate and environmental protection and to strive for accountability. At the federal level, environmental organizations are already gearing

International Court Of Justice Sets Schedule For Historic Climate Change Hearings, With Record...

Vanuatu, which has led the charge to request an ICJ climate change advisory opinion, is scheduled to testify on December 12. A record-breaking 100 oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice in the upcoming, highly-anticipated public hearings on states' legal obligations concerning climate change.

Court Considers Whether To Advance Youth Case Challenging Alaska LNG Project

Young Alaskans suing their state government over development of a massive new fossil fuel project were in court this week with their attorneys arguing that their case should proceed to trial. "These youth come to the court because their health and safety and their access to critical natural resources that

Deadly refinery leak adds to US toxic accident toll

A Texas oil refinery with a history of environmental violations was the site of a deadly hydrogen sulfide leak last week, killing two people and injuring more than two dozen others and adding to a long list of US industrial accidents US regulators say they are trying to rein in.

"Like steroids for hurricanes" - Scientists say Helene just a warning of what is to come

As the full extent of the devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene in the southeastern United States becomes clear nearly two weeks after the monstrous storm made landfall, a new scientific analysis confirms what many have already surmised - climate change worsened the hurricane's catastrophic impacts.

The Challenge Of Compliance: Landmark Court Verdicts Face Snubs, Defiance From Defendants

Winning a climate accountability lawsuit is one thing. Ensuring compliance with the court verdict is another matter. When the European Court of Human Rights ruled in April this year that the Swiss government's climate policies and protection measures were insufficient to safeguard citizens' human rights, civil society statements and

New Federal Legislation Proposes to Make Polluters Pay for Climate Change

The bill follows similar legislation at the state level

From North Dakota To Vermont, States Are Emerging As Key Battlegrounds In Climate Court Fights

The United States is a hotspot for climate litigation - there are currently more than 30 lawsuits brought by states and municipalities seeking to hold major fossil fuel companies liable for their longstanding campaigns of climate denial and deception, and young people have brought constitutional climate claims against their government at

Fossil fuel planned expansions could thwart efforts to slow climate change, report finds

Plans for an expanded footprint of US fossil fuel-derived chemical production facilities would unleash millions of tons of heat-trapping emissions that could undermine efforts to confront the climate crisis, according to a report issued Tuesday.

Youth Suing US Government Over Climate Turn To The Supreme Court - Why Some Legal Experts Are...

Petition aims to reverse decision terminating landmark lawsuit. Plus, why another climate case pending before the nation's highest court could be "game over" for US climate law. In a move that some climate law experts have cautioned against, the 21 young people suing the United States government in the

Scientists urge US officials to reject LNG export expansion

More than 125 scientists have issued a stern warning to US officials over a rapid expansion of natural gas production, saying the moves threaten to exacerbate the climate crisis and risk further environmental and public health harms. The scientists delivered their message in a September 12 letter addressed to US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, pushing back against industry claims that expanding natural gas production and consumption is compatible...

Fossil Fuel Firms Face Rising Tide Of Climate Litigation - Report

New analysis finds that oil, gas and coal producers are exposed to growing litigation risk as the climate crisis worsens. Article co-published with One Earth Now Communities, civil society organizations and individuals around the world are increasingly taking some of the world's largest fossil fuel companies to court in

Utah Supreme Court Hears Appeal Of Youth Climate Case Challenging State's Fossil Fuel Energy...

A group of seven young people from Utah who sued their state government over policies that promote and perpetuate fossil fuels were back in court on Wednesday as the Utah Supreme Court heard arguments on the youth plaintiffs' appeal of the case's dismissal. The case, Natalie R. v. State

South Korean Government's Lack Of Long-Term Climate Targets Violates Constitution, Court Rules

In a first of its kind ruling in Asia, the Constitutional Court of Korea has decided that South Korea's failure to set greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets beyond 2030 violates the country's constitution. The ruling is a victory for Korean youth and other plaintiffs who challenged the adequacy

Candidates discuss environmental issues in 350MA Berkshires forum - The Berkshire Edge

Candidates took turns discussing their views on financing for clean energy, infrastructure improvements, greening schools, clean energy siting, whether or not the state should expand natural-gas pipelines, and if the state should subsidize biomass as an alternative fuel.

Climate change may be driving extreme fires far ahead of schedule, study warns

Last year's record-shattering Canadian wildfire season was directly linked to human-caused climate change, according to a new study, which warns that the climate crisis may be fueling extreme fires decades earlier than previously expected.

Climate Change Is Killing People. Could Fossil Fuel Companies Be Held Criminally Responsible?

Some advocates and legal scholars are suggesting going beyond civil lawsuits

Legal battle over fossil fuels and climate heats up

As climate change fuels increasingly damaging extreme weather events across the United States, litigation is growing against fossil fuel companies accused of being to blame for the devastation. But a series of recent legal moves by the industry and mixed judicial decisions underscore the challenges that local and state government plaintiffs face in the multi-billion-dollar battle.

A Maryland Judge Has Sided with Oil Companies in Dismissing Baltimore's Climate Liability...

As major oil and gas corporations like ExxonMobil and Chevron continue to face climate accountability lawsuits brought by US states and communities - with the island territory of Puerto Rico filing...

Montana Kids' Climate Case Goes Back to Court on Appeal

The Montana Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Wednesday in a landmark youth constitutional climate case . The hearing comes as the state seeks to overturn the trial court's...

"A Real First": Following Devastating Floods, Vermont Passes Landmark Law Targeting Fossil Fuel...

"If you make a mess, you clean it up."

Plastics producers face potential wave of lawsuits, report suggests

As scientific understanding and public awareness of the health and environmental harms of plastics pollution continues to mount, plastics producers and plastic packaging manufacturers could face a rising tide of lawsuits from communities and states seeking to recover damage costs, a new report suggests.

Youths Win Landmark Settlement in Hawai'i That Enshrines "Life-Sustaining Climate Policy" Into Law

The outcome of the case marks a major victory for young climate activists

Biofuels manufacturing found to be a significant source of hazardous air pollution

Hazardous air pollutants emitted in the manufacturing of biofuels is nearly as bad as air pollution stemming from oil refineries, and for several types of dangerous pollutants such as formaldehyde the emissions from biofuel production are far greater, a new report finds.

Supreme Court Invites US Government Input in Honolulu Climate Case as Oil Companies Attempt to...

As climate accountability lawsuits targeting major oil and gas companies in the US continue mounting , the US Supreme Court on Monday issued an order addressing a pair of pending petitions from Big...

Battles brew over radioactive wastewater discharge from shuttered nuclear plants

An effort by New York to ban radioactive waste from polluting the Hudson River has embroiled the state in a bitter legal battle emblematic of challenges facing communities across the country as they wrestle with what to do with the waste from shuttered nuclear power plants.

"Taking on Big Oil"; Vermont enacts Climate Superfund Act

Vermont has enacted a first-in-the-nation law that holds major fossil fuel companies financially responsible for the climate pollution associated with their products, a move applauded by environmental advocates. Following passage by the legislature earlier this month, Vermont Gov. Phil Scott allowed the bill to become law on Thursday without his signature.

Inside Trump's Plan to Bulldoze American Climate Policy

Project 2025 would be a disaster for the environment

Youth Take Alaska to Court in Constitutional Challenge to Fossil Gas Mega-Project

Eight young Alaskans have sued the state of Alaska and a state-created corporation in an attempt to prevent a massive new fossil gas project from proceeding. The lawsuit, Sagoonick v. State of Alaska...

World "Ocean Court" Issues Groundbreaking Decision Affirming States Must Slash GHG Emissions to...

Countries must step up climate action and take all necessary measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the best available science in order to help protect and preserve the marine...

US States and Communities are Suing Big Oil for its Damaging Climate Lies. Will the US Federal...

As climate change deception lawsuits filed by US states and municipalities against oil and gas majors continue to wind their way through the courts, pressure is building on the federal government to...

Court Grants US Government's Request to Terminate Juliana v. US Youth Climate Case

A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court has shut down a rights-based climate lawsuit brought by 21 young people against the US federal government before the case could get to trial. With the...

Youth Climate Plaintiffs Rally Outside the White House Demanding US Government Face Trial in...

On the eve of Earth Day, young climate activists who are taking governments to court over the climate crisis in the US assembled in front of the White House in Washington DC to send a clear message...

Industry Allies Amplify Big Oil's Demand for US Supreme Court to End Climate Accountability Lawsuits

Oil and gas industry trade associations, corporate-backed legal organizations, Republican attorneys general and other fossil fuel industry allies recently filed court briefs supporting Big Oil's...

Historic Ruling Issued by European Human Rights Court in Climate Case

A regional human rights court in Europe ruled today for the first time in its 65-year history that the climate crisis is a serious threat to human rights, finding that the Swiss government's...

Vermont advances bill targeting oil and gas companies for climate cleanup

By Dana Drugmand In the aftermath of costly flooding that swept the US Northeast last year, lawmakers in Vermont on Tuesday advanced a proposed new law that aims to make fossil fuel companies liable for the costs of cleaning up communities battered by climate change-related events.

Advocates Nationwide Push for State-Level Green Constitutional Amendments

Efforts seek to enshrine the rights to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment

Toxic vinyl chloride accidents happen once every five days, report finds

By Dana Drugmand Accidental releases of toxic vinyl chloride have occurred in the United States once every five days, on average, since 2010, according to a new report that highlights the extent to which communities and chemical plant workers are exposed to the known carcinogen.

Citing "catastrophic disaster", small Massachusetts town sues over PCB contamination

By Dana Drugmand Monsanto and General Electric (GE) engaged in a "criminal corporate action" through a secret 1972 deal that allowed the companies to keep profiting from the sale and use of dangerous PCBs despite knowing the toxins were harmful, according to a lawsuit filed by a small Massachusetts town awash in PCB contamination.

Why Is the Biden DOJ Blocking a Landmark Youth Climate Suit?

The Biden Administration is resuming Trump legal tactics in an attempt to permanently block a youth-led climate civil rights suit.

Judge OK's Coordination for Multiple California Climate Cases Against Big Oil

Legal experts say the move promotes efficiency and avoids inconsistencies.

Plastics industry engaged in 50 years of fraud over recycling, report alleges

By Dana Drugmand Plastics makers and petrochemical industry players have engaged in a decades-long fraud aimed at deceiving the public about plastic recycling, according to a new report that spotlights freshly uncovered industry communications and internal documents.

Vermont, Other States Push for "Climate Superfund" Bill to Hold Polluting Companies Accountable

Climate-driven extreme weather is wreaking havoc across the country. Lawmakers want fossil fuel companies to pay.

This NGO Won a Climate Case Against Shell. Its Next Target? Dutch Bank ING

Here's what Friends of the Earth Netherlands' latest legal action could mean for global banks financing major polluters.

Monsanto's 'cancer index', an alleged conspiracy, and new PCB-related complaints

By Dana Drugmand The former Monsanto company - now owned by Bayer AG - illegally cut a secret deal with General Electric Co. decades ago to try to shield itself from liability related to PCB contamination in western Massachusetts, engaging in a conspiracy that continues to wreak harm on the region, according to new complaints from local officials.

A "grave concern" - fight building against Biden's hydrogen hubs

By Dana Drugmand When President Joe Biden visited Philadelphia in mid-October to announce a $7 billion federal investment in seven regional 'clean' hydrogen hubs proposed across the country, he touted the promise of "tens of thousands of jobs" and the potential for sharp reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to "taking 5.5 million gas-powered vehicles off the road."

2023 Has Been A Big Year for Climate Accountability in the Courts

From a groundbreaking trial in Montana to a "truly historic" human rights hearing in Europe, climate change litigation took big steps forward this year.

Youth Climate Lawsuit Against Canadian Climate Policy Can Go to Trial, Court Rules

A federal appeals court in Canada breathed new life into a youth-led constitutional climate lawsuit against the Canadian government, allowing it to proceed towards trial on a narrower scope and partially reversing the trial court's ruling that the entire case should be tossed.

"Sounding the alarm," a new youth lawsuit seeks climate action by EPA

By Dana Drugmand US environmental regulators have allowed "dangerous levels of climate pollution" to destabilize the climate system with horrific impacts that will worsen over time, according to allegations laid out in a federal lawsuit filed Sunday by a group of California youth.

Corporate Promotion of Carbon Capture and Storage Contradicts Science, Study Finds

A new InfluenceMap report reveals that over 80 percent of corporate policy engagement on carbon capture and storage contradicts the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's science-based policy guidance, leading to misguided ideas behind CCS use.

Report: Oil and Gas Production Set to Escalate Under Landmark U.S. Climate Law

A new report warns that oil and gas production in the United States is expected to rise under Biden's signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and shows how the policy will not be enough for the U.S. to meet its 2030 climate target.

Why the Belief That Carbon Capture Technologies Can Work at Gigaton-Scale Is a Gigantic Gamble

A new report released just ahead of COP28 shows that fossil fuel production by 2030 is set to exceed the level that would be compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C by more than 110 percent.

More than Half of World's Largest Companies' Net Zero Pledges Are False Promises, Study Finds

A new InfluenceMap study of nearly 300 of the top companies from the Forbes 2000 list found that 58 percent did not match their climate policy influencing actions with their public claims of being committed to the Paris Climate Accord and achieving net zero emissions.

Risks of fracking are "real and growing," report warns

By Dana Drugmand The human and environmental health risks associated with hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking, are indisputable and growing, according to a new report synthesizing nearly a decade of research.

The Carbon Capture Sector's Community-Involvement Rhetoric Doesn't Match Reality

CCS project proponents are touting their support of local community involvement in developing sites across the U.S. Despite this rhetoric about listening to local communities and giving them a chance to say no to projects, community groups opposing these projects claim this is not what's happening on the ground.

Honolulu's Climate Suit Against Big Oil Advances Towards Trial

A lawsuit filed by the city and county of Honolulu against nearly a dozen fossil fuel companies is moving towards trial in Hawaii after the Hawaii Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the companies' arguments for dismissing the case on appeal. Honolulu first sued 10 fossil fuel companies - including BP, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, and Aloha [...]

"Time is up" - EPA facing threat of citizens' lawsuit seeking cap on climate pollution

By Dana Drugmand US regulators are breaking the law by failing to set a national cap on climate pollution, endangering human health and the environment, according to a consortium threatening to file a citizens' lawsuit against the government to force "stronger, faster actions to address the climate emergency."

New Report Calls Out Chemical Recycling as a 'False Solution' to the Plastics Crisis

The plastics and petrochemical industries' latest purported solution to the plastic pollution crisis - chemical or "advanced" recycling - is essentially a public relations and marketing strategy designed to distract from the urgent need to curb plastic production, a new report by Beyond Plastics and the International Pollutants Elimination Network (IPEN), contends.

A Judge Has Rejected Shell's Latest Attempt to Dismiss a Connecticut Climate Lawsuit

Shell's fuel and chemical terminal in New Haven isn't ready to withstand extreme storms and flooding, activist lawyers have charged.

California Pension Funds Have Billions Invested in Fossil Fuel Companies Named in State's Lawsuit

Over the past month and a half month, California lawmakers have enacted a pair of climate disclosure bills and endorsed a global call to end the fossil fuel era. In September, the state sued five oil majors and the chief industry lobby group to hold them accountable for climate change.

Climate Litigation Is Increasing as Government Action Falters

Activists hope that more and bigger court wins will break the "grinding gridlock" among governments on phasing out fossil fuels.

Why California is Taking Big Oil to Court - and Why it Matters

"This is a historic moment," Rob Bonta, California's attorney general, told reporters on Sunday, as he stood alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom on the opening day of Climate Week NYC. The pair of California leaders were there to discuss the lawsuit the state had recently filed against Big Oil on behalf of the people of California [...]

Havas Wins Shell Advertising Contract, Drawing Fire from Climate Campaigners

Global communications group Havas has won a bidding war for Shell's media account, drawing criticism from campaigners who accuse advertising agencies of shielding oil majors from pressure to slash emissions. Shell invited pitches for its advertising account, handled for the past 18 years by UK-based WPP, in June, prompting speculation in the creative industry over [...]

Tens of Thousands March to the UN, Declaring a Climate Emergency

Climate activists marched in New York City on Sunday to demand that world leaders curb new oil and gas drilling. The March to End Fossil Fuels was the first major climate march since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It brought tens of thousands, young and old, from as far away as Alaska and the [...]

California Joins States Suing Big Oil for Its Role in the Climate Crisis

The state of California has jumped into the ring in the fight to hold some of the world's biggest fossil fuel producers accountable for their role in driving the worsening climate crisis. On Friday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against five oil and gas majors including ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, Shell, and ConocoPhillips [...]

Nearly 200 Environmentalists Were Murdered for Their Work in 2022

New report from Global Witness calls for greater protection of activists on the front lines of the climate crisis.

Dealing with disease and death, a community fights PCB contamination

By Dana Drugmand PITTSFIELD, Mass - For more than two decades, Nina McDermott was a fixture at Allendale Elementary School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, teaching third grade to young students. Even after being diagnosed with breast cancer and then kidney cancer McDermott kept working, fighting for her life as well as her job - until it became clear that her battle to beat the disease could not be won.

The United States and Canada Are Among the World's Top 5 'Planet Wreckers,' New Fossil Fuel...

The world's top 20 oil and gas extractors have enough production planned to emit 173 billion tons of carbon by 2050 - and lock in climate chaos.

Attorneys: Verdict in Montana Youth Climate Case Bolsters Climate Suit Against US

Attorneys representing a group of young people suing the United States government in a groundbreaking constitutional climate lawsuit are pressing a federal district court in Oregon to deny the Department of Justice's attempts to quash the case before trial, citing the recent ruling out of Montana in favor of youth plaintiffs as a "persuasive" example [...]

Fossil Fuel Companies Ask Hawaii Supreme Court to Dismiss Honolulu's Climate Case

As more than two dozen climate liability lawsuits by state and local governments against fossil fuel companies continue to progress, a case brought by the city and county of Honolulu could become the first to put Big Oil on trial. On Thursday, the Hawaii Supreme Court heard arguments on an appeal by the defendants, which [...]

Montana Kids Just Won Their Landmark Climate Lawsuit. Here's Why.

Sixteen young Montanans have accomplished something unprecedented in U.S. history - holding their government accountable for their failure to act in time on climate change.

Youth win historic climate lawsuit against Montana

By Dana Drugmand A group of young people who sued Montana officials for failing to adequately address climate change have prevailed in what observers say is a historic legal challenge. On Monday, Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Kathy Seeley ruled that the plaintiffs in the case, Held v.

Montana Youth Activists Win Historic Climate Change Lawsuit

A Montana court ruled in favor of 16 young people who put their state government on trial in June in the first constitutional climate trial in U.S. history. In an order issued Monday, Judge Kathy Seeley in the First Judicial District Court of Montana found that the state had violated youth plaintiffs' constitutional rights, including [...]

Energy Dept. Announces $1.2 Billion to Advance Controversial Climate Technology

'Direct air capture' of carbon pollution is still experimental, but a fossil fuel company is embracing it as a way to keep drilling.

Aging Americans face deadly risk due to wide temperature swings, study warns

By Dana Drugmand People over age 65 face a higher risk of dying when exposed to temperatures that swing far outside the seasonal average, findings that underscore an "urgent" need to mitigate climate change, according to new research. The study, published this month in Environmental Health Perspectives, examined how seasonal variations in temperature impacted mortality rates among older Americans.

Congressional Dems Request DOJ Investigation into Big Oil's Climate Deception

Citing "new evidence" of Big Oil firms' advanced knowledge of climate risks and their actions to publicly conceal these risks, Democratic members of Congress are renewing calls for the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate carbon majors for potential violations of federal law. In a letter sent to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday, the [...]

This Database Exposes the Client Conflicts of More Than 1,500 Big Oil Lobbyists

As lawsuits mount against the fossil fuel sector for sowing climate disinformation, lobby firms that work with the industry also face increased scrutiny.

Litigation Over Misleading Climate Claims Has 'Exploded' Over the Past Few Years

Companies are increasingly facing legal action over their false or misleading climate communications, according to a new report examining trends in global climate litigation. That report, released late last week, highlighted a surge in litigation around climate-related greenwashing - what researchers have termed "climate-washing" - over the past few years.

Public Pension Funds Have Lost Billions on Their Fossil Fuel Investments: New Analysis

Six major US retirement funds would be worth a combined $21 billion more today if they had divested from fossil fuels a decade ago, researchers have found.

US Government Urges Court to Dismiss Federal Youth Climate Lawsuit

The U.S. Department of Justice is asking a federal district court in Oregon to put an end to the landmark constitutional youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States after the court reactivated the litigation earlier this month. The case, which was originally filed in 2015 and alleges constitutional violations stemming from the federal government's ongoing [...]

Oregon County Sues Fossil Fuel Entities and Enablers for Contributing to Deadly 2021 Heatwave

Major fossil fuel entities and trade associations including Koch Industries, the American Petroleum Institute, and the Western States Petroleum Association, as well as consulting behemoth McKinsey & Company, were slapped with the latest climate liability lawsuit today with the filing of a complaint in the Oregon Circuit Court in Multnomah County, Oregon.

In Montana, a landmark legal challenge over climate change

By Dana Drugmand For 20-year-old college student Olivia Vesovich, climate change is not a future concern. It's a current and near-daily crisis. "Climate change has impacted my ability to breathe," Vesovich testified from the witness stand of a Montana courtroom last week.

Montana's Narrow Defense in Youth Climate Trial Was Devoid of Climate Science

The historic youth climate trial in Montana concluded today ahead of schedule, after the state presented a condensed defense on Monday that steered clear of disputing climate science. It also excluded testimony from witnesses it had previously planned to call upon, including a neuropsychologist who admitted she had no expertise on climate change's mental health [...]

From Plantations to Petrochemicals

The historical roots of Louisiana's Cancer Alley can be found in slavery

Court Hears Expert Testimony About How Montana 'Doubled Down on Fossil Fuels' and Became...

Montana "has recognized climate change as a growing concern for decades," Anne Hedges, director of policy and legislative affairs at the Montana Environmental Information Center, testified to a Montana court on Thursday. Despite this, the state has never denied a permit for any fossil fuel-related project, she said.

In Court Testimony, Climate Scientists Rebuke Montana for Support of Fossil Fuels

16 youth have sued Montana for violating their right, guaranteed under Montana's constitution, to a clean and healthful environment.

Montana Youth-led Climate Trial Will Go On as Scheduled

Multiple judges have rejected the Republican-led state's efforts to halt the litigation, clearing the way for the first constitutional climate trial in the U.S.

Citing safety concerns, groups seek moratorium on new CO2 pipelines

By Dana Drugmand Environmental and public health advocates are calling on President Joe Biden to issue a moratorium on new carbon dioxide pipelines, citing "serious safety concerns" and significant gaps in current federal safety regulations.

Hoboken Lodges First State-Level Racketeering Charge in Big Oil Climate Lawsuit

In a first at the state level, the City of Hoboken, New Jersey recently added racketeering charges to its climate lawsuit against major petroleum producers and their national trade group the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Shell hit with $10 mln penalty over air pollution

Pennsylvania state regulators have ordered a Shell subsidiary to pay nearly $10 million to resolve multiple air permit violations committed by the company's new petrochemical facility located about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

Scientists Have Now Linked Worsening Western Wildfires to Top Polluters

New research for the first time links wildfire risks and impacts in western North America to carbon emissions traceable to the world's largest fossil fuel and cement companies. The analysis has important implications for corporate climate accountability and may help bolster litigation aimed at holding fossil fuel producers liable for climate-related damages, the researchers say.

Montana Is Paying a Climate Denier to Give Expert Testimony in Upcoming Trial

Montana has hired a climate scientist turned climate contrarian to be an expert witness in an upcoming trial challenging the state's promotion of fossil fuels. Climatologist Judith Curry has already billed the state around $30,000 for a report filed in the case Held v.

After repeated air pollution violations, Shell plastics plant hit with federal lawsuit

A unit of the British multinational Shell plc is repeatedly violating state and federal air pollution rules and harming the health of area residents, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court by an environmental group after a series of air permit violations at the company's new plastics production plant in Pennsylvania.

Outrage over fresh chemical leak at Shell plastics plant

When Shell Chemical Appalachia announced the start of a massive plastics manufacturing facility last November in western Pennsylvania, the subsidiary of oil major Shell described it as "world-class," and touted the company's "strong and innovative safety focus."

Hospitals Are Investing Billions of Dollars in Fossil Fuels, Report Reveals

Major hospital systems and medical institutions in the United States are betraying their oath to "first do no harm" through their investments in the fossil fuel sector, warns a new report from a campaign advocating for fossil fuel divestment in healthcare. According to the report, The Biggest Malpractice: How Hospitals Betray the Public Trust with [...]

Supreme Court Rejects Big Oil's Bid to Derail Climate Liability Lawsuits

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied requests from major oil companies to intervene in climate liability lawsuits aimed at holding fossil fuel producers accountable for climate damages and alleged disinformation campaigns. The court's denial of the industry's petitions means that the lawsuits can advance in state courts, where companies like ExxonMobil and Shell could [...]

Beyond East Palestine, report finds widespread toxic vinyl chloride pollution

When the Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous material derailed in East Palestine, Ohio on February 3, the subsequent release and explosion of chemicals fouled the air and exposed the community to a toxic cocktail of contaminants, including a substance known to cause cancer called vinyl chloride.

World's Biggest Banks Poured $673 Billion Into Fossil Fuels Last Year

While the window for avoiding the most catastrophic consequences of climate change narrows, the global banking sector continues to funnel huge sums each year into fossil fuels, finds a new report. Last year alone, the 60 largest banks financed fossil fuels to the tune of $673 billion.

Kids' Climate Case Advances in Hawaii

A judge in Hawaii has cleared the way for a youth climate case challenging the state's fossil fuel-dependent transportation system to proceed to trial. The case, which invokes the Hawaiian constitution's environmental guarantees, will be the second climate trial based on constitutional claims in U.S.

Biden Administration Deals a Legal Blow to Big Oil

The lower courts have unanimously and repeatedly rejected the defendants' attempts to force the cases into federal courts. This means the Supreme Court is likely the industry's last shot at avoiding state courts, where it could face discovery and trial-and the risk that the details of its alleged deceptive conduct will finally be revealed.

International Courts Take on Climate with Historic Hearings and Resolution

Two historic developments last week are putting the climate crisis squarely on the docket of some of the world's highest courts. On March 29, an international human rights court in Europe held a pair of hearings addressing government responsibility on climate change for the first time.

Montana Repeals State Energy Policy as Climate Trial Nears

Montana has repealed its 30-year-old energy policy - including a 2011 amendment that prioritized fossil-fuel development. The move comes as a June trial date approaches for a youth-led climate lawsuit against the state. In the lawsuit, Held v.

US Justice Department Tells Supreme Court to Reject Big Oil Petition in Colorado Climate Lawsuit

Communities in the United States suing major fossil fuel producers over climate-related harms got a boost in court on Thursday. At the request of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Department of Justice weighed in on a key procedural question that has been ensnaring the progress of many climate accountability lawsuits - the question of where [...]

Top U.S. Law Schools Accused of Creating a Student 'Pipeline' into Firms Serving Fossil Fuel...

Elite law schools in the United States are disproportionately funneling their students into jobs serving fossil fuel clients, according to a new report published Thursday. The Law Students for Climate Accountability (LSCA) report finds that the top 20 schools have produced fossil fuel lawyers at more than three times the rate of the average law school, [...]

Following Ohio Derailment, Concerns Arise Over Expansion of Rail and Pipeline Transport of...

In the aftermath of last month's toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, questions and concerns about the adequacy of rail safety regulations have resurfaced. The train, owned by Norfolk Southern, was transporting chemicals and other hazardous materials when an overheated wheel bearing led to a catastrophic derailment on February 3.

Across state line from East Palestine, repeated air permit violations at a petrochemical plant

On the afternoon of February 13, just 10 days after the Norfolk Southern train transporting hazardous chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a Shell petrochemical plant located less than 30 miles away in Pennsylvania began flaring and spewing black smoke into the air for several hours.

French NGOs Sue BNP Paribas, Europe's Largest Financier of Fossil Fuel Expansion

French environmental organizations Notre Affaire à Tous, Friends of the Earth France, and Oxfam France last week filed what they say is the world's first climate lawsuit against a commercial bank, suing BNP Paribas over its continued funding of fossil fuels. The lawsuit is part of a burgeoning movement to pressure financial institutions to end [...]

Austrian Youth Take their Government to Court Over 'Ineffective' Climate Policy

Austria is the latest country to be facing a lawsuit brought by some of its youngest citizens who say their government is failing to protect them from the worsening climate crisis. Backed by the Austrian chapter of the youth climate strike organization Fridays for Future, a group of 12 children and adolescents launched a landmark [...]

Court Hears Appeal in Canadian Youth Climate Lawsuit

Young Canadians suing the federal government over its role in worsening the climate crisis are hoping that an appeals court will give them a chance to be heard at trial, after a judge dismissed their case over two years ago. The case was back in court this week as lawyers for the youths argued that [...]

Big Oil's Been Secretly Validating Critics' Concerns about Carbon Capture

Last February, ExxonMobil announced it would further expand its only active carbon capture and storage (CCS) operation in the United States, located at a gas processing facility in LaBarge, Wyoming. Shute Creek is the world's largest CCS project and has been operational for over 30 years.

Single-use plastic waste is at record levels, with hefty climate toll, report warns

By Dana Drugmand From grocery store bags and soda bottles to take-out containers and food packaging, single-use, disposable plastic is a pervasive problem that presents not just waste management problems, but considerable harmful climate impacts as well, according to a new report.

Lawsuit Targets Shell's Board of Directors Over Energy Transition Plans

Shell's board of directors officially has been served with a world-first lawsuit aiming to hold its corporate directors personally liable for alleged mismanagement of climate risk. The lawsuit, filed Thursday by UK-based environmental law organization ClientEarth, contends that Shell's strategy to address climate change and manage the energy transition fails to align with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and leaves the company in a vulnerable position as society shifts away from fossil...

How You Can Ditch Your Dangerous, Dirty Gas Stove

By now you've probably heard about the simmering controversy surrounding gas stoves. Contrary to the claims of conservative, politicians, and fossil fuel and front groups, the federal government is planning any kind of ban on the fossil fueled kitchen appliance.

New Report Highlights Pesticides' Overlooked Climate Connection

As chemicals designed to kill insects and weeds, fungi and rodents, pesticides are among the most toxic and damaging substances on the planet. Their harmful impacts on human and ecosystem health are generally well understood. What receives far less attention, however, is the climate impact of these agrochemicals.

UAE Selects Fossil Fuel Exec to Lead COP28

Climate campaigners reacted with outrage on Thursday to the announcement that the United Arab Emirates's president has appointed the leader of the country's national oil company to preside over the 2023 United Nations climate talks, which the UAE will host later this year. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber was named as president-designate of this year's UN [...]

2022 Was a Big Year for Climate Action in the Courts

It was another busy year in the courts for climate-related cases. From challenges to fossil fuel and petrochemical expansion to climate lawsuits against Big Oil and national governments, there were notable victories for climate action and accountability in 2022. There were also some setbacks, for instance, the U.S.

New Study Reveals Billions of Dollars in Political Spending by US Trade Associations, Most of It...

Industry trade associations in the United States that work on climate and energy issues spent more than $3 billion over 10 years on political activities, according to a new study that sheds light on trade associations' role in influencing policies and obstructing climate action.

Pesticide Industry 'Helped Write' Disinformation Playbook Used by Big Oil and Big Tobacco, Report...

As regulators in the United States and European Union prepare to review and potentially reauthorize the controversial weedkiller glyphosate, a new report reveals the stealth tactics and narrative spin deployed by the chemical's manufacturer to discredit inconvenient science and protect profits. The report, published by Friends of the Earth and nonprofit investigative organization U.S.

Puerto Rican Cities Sue Fossil Fuel Companies in Major Class-Action, Climate Fraud Case

Nearly 25 years ago, oil major Shell predicted in an internal 1998 report that a class-action lawsuit would be brought against fossil fuel companies following "a series of violent storms." That prediction is finally coming true: A group of Puerto Rican communities, which were ravaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, are suing Shell [...]

Judge Deals Latest Blow to Big Oil in DC Climate Fraud Case

In recent years, communities across the United States increasingly have turned to the courts to hold oil and gas companies accountable for alleged fraud - which has worsened the climate crisis - and now those lawsuits are inching towards trial. Despite dogged attempts from industry lawyers to force the litigation into federal courts, where they [...]

At COP27, US and Partners Announce More Funds for 'Efficient' Fertilizer as Industry Reports...

While the world's top fertilizer producers report record profits and farmers worldwide face ongoing price spikes for chemical inputs, the agrochemical industry is touting innovation and increased efficiency as its solution to the economic and environmental impacts of its products. It is a narrative that senior government officials, including those from the United States and [...]

'Drop Fossil Fuels,' Over 400 Scientists Tell PR Firm Handling UN Climate Talks

Ahead of the COP27 UN climate summit, hundreds of scientists are calling on the PR firm in charge of the event's communications, Hill+Knowlton, to cut ties with its fossil fuel industry clients, which include major oil companies Aramco, ExxonMobil, and Shell as well as an industry coalition called the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative.

As Enbridge Races to Build Line 3 Pipeline, Resistance Ramps Up in the Courts and On the Ground

On January 2, 2021, during the first weekend of the New Year, dozens of water protectors gathered to demonstrate and pray along Great River Road near Palisade, Minnesota. They joined in song, protesting a controversial tar sands oil pipeline called Line 3, which is currently being constructed through northern Minnesota and traditional Anishinaabe lands.

'Disappointing' Decision from Norway's Supreme Court in Climate Lawsuit Challenging Arctic...

Norway's Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled not to overturn the Norwegian government's approval of new licenses for offshore oil drilling in the fragile Arctic region. The ruling - a culmination of four years of high-profile litigation in a case challenging continued fossil fuel production on climate change grounds - came as a big disappointment, and even outrage, for [...]

2020 Was a Busy Year for Taking the Climate Fight to the Courts

This year - with its converging crises, from the coronavirus pandemic to longstanding racial injustice to climate-related disasters - was also a remarkably active time for climate litigation. All around the world, communities, organizations, and especially young people turned to the courts in 2020 in strategic attempts to hold governments and polluting companies accountable for exacerbating [...]

San Antonio's City-Owned Energy Utility Is Paying a Quarter Million Dollars a Year to Gas...

Deep in the heart of Texas, by far the nation's top oil producer, the city of San Antonio is starting to grapple with its reliance on fossil fuels. But the key player in implementing the Alamo City's energy transition - the local energy utility CPS Energy - remains committed to carbon-based fuels like coal and natural gas, even while [...]

New Youth Climate Lawsuit Launched Against UK Government on Five Year Anniversary of Paris Agreement

Three young British citizens and the climate litigation charity Plan B today announced they are taking legal action against the UK government for failing to sufficiently address the climate crisis. The announcement comes on the five year anniversary of the landmark Paris Agreement - the international accord intended to limit global temperature rise to below 2 [...]

Green Groups Call On Future Biden White House To Overturn New EPA Rule Announced With The...

During a virtual event on Wednesday, December 9 hosted by the Heritage Foundation - a conservative free market think tank backed by polluters like the petrochemical Koch empire - the outgoing head of the Environmental Protection Agency (and former coal lobbyist) Andrew Wheeler announced the finalization of a new rule that critics say is a gift to [...]

Here's How Big Oil Wants The Supreme Court to Help Delay and Derail Climate Lawsuits

On January 19, 2021 - just one day before President-elect Joe Biden takes the oath of office - the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in a climate change accountability lawsuit brought by Baltimore, Maryland, against almost two dozen fossil fuel corporations. Like over a dozen other climate lawsuits, Baltimore's case seeks to hold major oil [...]

'Major Hurdle' Cleared As Youth Activists Advance Historic Climate Case

An unprecedented climate lawsuit brought by six Portuguese youths is to be fast-tracked at Europe's highest court, it was announced today. The European Court of Human Rights said the case, which accuses 33 European nations of violating the applicants' right to life by disregarding the climate emergency, would be granted priority status due to the "importance [...]

'Historic' Court Ruling Will Force France To Justify Its Climate Targets

A French court this week issued what climate campaigners are calling a "historic decision" in the fight to hold national governments accountable for insufficient action to address the climate crisis. The decision finds that France in recent years has exceeded its "carbon budgets" - the upper limit of allowable carbon emissions to help keep warming below [...]

Automakers Show 'Concerning' Lack of Engagement on Human Rights and Climate, Analyses Reveal

The world's leading automakers are not doing enough to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with international climate targets and are failing to address or even report on human rights issues, according to new assessments released by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA). The assessments include an update to a report launched last year scoring over two [...]

Climate Deniers Are Claiming EVs Are Bad for the Environment - Again. Here's Why They're Wrong.

A new paper published Tuesday, November 17, by the conservative think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), raises environmental concerns with electric vehicles in what appears to be the latest attempt by organizations associated with fossil fuel funding to pump the brakes on the transportation sector's transition away from petroleum and towards cleaner electricity.

Norway's Supreme Court to Decide on Climate Lawsuit Challenging Offshore Arctic Oil Drilling

The Supreme Court of Norway is set to rule in a high-profile climate change lawsuit challenging the Norwegian government's licensing of new offshore oil drilling in the fragile and rapidly warming Arctic region. The forthcoming decision from Norway's highest court could, for the first time anywhere in the world, invalidate offshore petroleum production on climate [...]

Massachusetts Locals Accuse Town Mayor Of 'Colluding' With Enbridge Over Controversial Natural...

Residents of Weymouth, Massachusetts, are raising questions about a deal made between the city and multi-billion dollar Canadian energy pipeline company Enbridge, Inc., with some calling the situation a "complete sell-off" that could jeopardize the health of the community and environment. Protesters during a demonstration outside the town hall on November 6 accused the mayor of [...]

Court Tosses Youth Climate Lawsuit Against Canada

The Federal Court of Canada has decided to dismiss a climate lawsuit based on constitutional rights and brought by 15 young Canadians against the federal government. The decision, issued October 27, effectively denies the youths the chance to present their case and the supporting climate science at trial.

Detroit Knew: GM and Ford Were Aware of Climate Risks Decades Ago Too, Investigation Reveals

Groundbreaking reporting this week by E&E News revealed that, similar to major oil companies like Exxon, American automakers Ford and General Motors (GM) engaged in early cutting-edge climate science research and that the companies were aware as early as the 1960s of potential climate risks that stem from burning the fossil fuels that power their vehicles.

Polling Shows Growing Climate Concern Among Americans. But Outsized Influence of Deniers Remains...

More Americans than ever before - 54 percent, recent polling data shows - are alarmed or concerned about climate change, which scientists warn is a planetary emergency unfolding in the form of searing heat, prolonged drought, massive wildfires, monstrous storms, and other extremes. These kinds of disasters are becoming increasingly costly and impossible to ignore.

Amy Coney Barrett's Remarks on Climate Change Raise Alarm That a Climate Denier Is About to Join...

During her Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday, October 13, Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett trotted out a tired and dismissive refrain from climate deniers, saying, "I'm certainly not a scientist" when Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) asked specifically about her views on climate change.

Hawaii's Maui County Takes Big Oil to Court Over Climate Crisis

Hawaii's Maui County filed a liability claim against 20 fossil fuel firms on Monday, joining 23 other U.S. communities suing to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for their role in delaying action on climate change. Maui is the third community in Hawaii to file such a suit.

Exxon and Other US Oil Companies Lag in Responding to 'Existential Threat' of Energy Transition,...

U.S. oil majors like Exxon and Chevron are failing to grapple with the energy sector's transition away from polluting fossil fuels and refusing to disclose potential risks to their portfolios from assets that may become "stranded," or uneconomical to develop, in a low-carbon world, new research from

Fossil Fuel Companies Keep Getting Sued Over Climate Impacts. Here's Where the Cases Stand

September saw a flurry of new lawsuits filed by cities and states against major fossil fuel companies over the climate crisis and the resulting impacts that are already being felt. After Hoboken, New Jersey sued Big Oil and its largest trade association, the American Petroleum Institute, on

Palo Alto Paying Over $20,000 Annually to Natural Gas Trade Group Fighting Climate Action

Nearly a year ago, the city of Palo Alto - home to Stanford University and the unofficial capital of Silicon Valley - joined a handful of other California cities in enacting an all-electric building mandate.

Supreme Court Takes Climate Case

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to intervene in a climate liability lawsuit brought against 26 fossil fuel companies by Baltimore, which seeks to hold them responsible for the substantial costs of grappling with the heavy impacts of climate change.

Top Law Firms Called Out for Serving Fossil Fuel Industry Clients in New Climate 'Scorecard'

With lawsuits against major fossil fuel producers over climate damages on the rise, a new report and initiative examines how prestigious law firms are enabling climate breakdown. The student-led initiative, Law Students for Climate Accountability, calls for holding the legal industry accountable for

'As the World Burns': Q&A With Author Lee van der Voo on Her New Book About a Landmark Youth...

Earlier this year a pair of judges on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided to dismiss the groundbreaking American youth climate change lawsuit Juliana v. United States. But the case is not yet over - while the 21 young people who sued the U.S.

How Congress Can Support Lawsuits Demanding Climate Accountability

On Wednesday, September 23, several members of Congress introduced a resolution in both houses that supports the principles and demands of the 21 youth suing the U.S. government in the landmark constitutional climate case Juliana v. United States. Titled the "Children's Fundamental Rights and

Trump Appoints Pair of Climate Science Deniers to NOAA While Climate-Fueled Fires and Storms Rage

The White House has made a pair of controversial appointments to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), positioning within the climate science agency two individuals who consistently misrepresent and disagree with the scientific consensus on various issues concerning climate

Court Considers If Washington State, Smothered by 'Climate Fires' and Smoke, Is Violating Youths'...

As rampant wildfires worsened by climate change continued to batter the western U.S. this week, a Washington state appeals court examined the question of whether young people should be allowed to sue their state government over the climate crisis. The hearing, held Thursday, September 17, is part of

Fossil Fuel Industry and Koch Network Fighting Pennsylvania's Move to Join Regional Greenhouse...

As Pennsylvania took a significant step this week towards joining a regional climate initiative to curb carbon pollution from power plants, newly revealed email records show how fossil fuel interests campaigned to oppose this initiative in a state that has the fifth most polluting electric power

'Unplanned Gas Release' at Controversial Gas Facility in Weymouth, South of Boston

The standard, pre-operational testing of a new natural gas compressor station in the Massachusetts community of Weymouth, south of Boston, had barely begun last week when a gasket failure prompted an emergency shutdown of the facility and resulted in an unintentional gas leak. Weymouth's compressor

Connecticut Becomes the 5th State to Sue Big Oil Over Climate Change

The state of Connecticut is suing ExxonMobil, charging the oil major with "decades of deceit" on the risks of climate change that stem from burning fossil fuels. "ExxonMobil sold oil and gas, but it also sold lies about climate science," Connecticut Attorney General William Tong said in a press release.

Australian Teens Bring Class Action Climate Lawsuit to Stop Coal Mine Expansion

This week, a group of eight Australian teens has brought a groundbreaking new climate change lawsuit against Australia's Federal Minister for the Environment in an effort to stop a proposed coal mine expansion in the state of New South Wales, roughly 267 miles north of Sydney.

Delaware Just Sued 30 Fossil Fuel Companies and the American Petroleum Institute Over Climate...

Delaware, the home state of Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, announced on Thursday, September 10 that it is taking dozens of major oil and gas companies including BP, Chevron, and ExxonMobil to court over the rising costs of climate impacts such as sea level rise and coastal flooding.

Climate Litigation Reaches American South with Charleston, SC Filing Latest Suit

The city of Charleston, South Carolina is going to court to hold two dozen oil and gas companies accountable for alleged deception about the role of fossil fuels in driving climate change. Charleston filed its lawsuit against 24 petroleum firms in South Carolina state court on September 9, joining around 20 other communities across the country pursuing similar litigation against the fossil fuel industry.

Latest Youth Climate Lawsuit Filed Against 33 European Countries Over Human Rights

Six young people from Portugal have filed an unprecedented climate change lawsuit against almost all of Europe, targeting 33 European nations for failing to take adequate action on the climate crisis that they say threatens their human rights.

Hoboken, New Jersey Sues Oil Industry for Climate Impacts From its 'Deceptive Actions'

New Jersey has now joined the wave of lawsuits seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate impacts. The city of Hoboken today filed a case against major oil and gas companies and the American Petroleum Institute (API), a powerful industry trade group which has played a major

Climate Accountability Largely Missing from Senate Democrats' New Climate Report

As blistering wildfires and a monstrous hurricane fueled by rising temperatures ravage the U.S., Senate Democrats this week released their action plan for combating the climate crisis and building a clean energy economy.

Climate Deniers on Front Line of Battle Over Pennsylvania Joining Cap-and-Trade Program to Slash...

Pennsylvania, traditionally a battleground state in electoral politics, is currently embroiled in a battle over the state potentially joining a regional program to curb carbon pollution from the power sector. That program, called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), has seen carbon dioxide

Koch Academic Influence Returns to Massachusetts With New Tufts University Think Tank

When a new Massachusetts think tank housed at Tufts University launched earlier this year, Boston-based media described it as a "CBO-like center" (referring to the Congressional Budget Office) that would offer an "independent analysis" of proposed state policy and legislation.

New Jersey Should Sue Fossil Fuel Companies Over Climate Costs, Panel Says

Advocates for holding fossil fuel companies accountable in court for the substantial costs of climate change are urging New Jersey to sue oil majors like ExxonMobil, as over a dozen municipal and state governments have done over the past three years.

Big Oil Faces Mounting Legal Battles Over Climate Threats to its New England Oil Terminals

A New England-based environmental law group is taking major oil companies to court, claiming the firms have failed to adapt some of their petroleum storage terminals to withstand increasingly severe storm and flooding events worsened by the climate crisis.

SoCalGas, Nation's Largest Gas Utility, Sues California Over Climate Policy for not 'Maximizing...

As California works to shift away from fossil fuels to meet its climate goals, one of the state's largest suppliers of fossil energy is fighting tooth-and-nail against this energy transition, even to the point of taking California to court over its energy policy.

Long-time Contrarian Michael Shellenberger Is a Republican Star Witness in Climate Hearings

Fresh off the publication of his new book Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All, Michael Shellenberger - a self-described Democrat and climate activist who nevertheless purports that climate concerns are overhyped - is now making the rounds as a Republican minority witness in

Big Oil Knew Climate Change Could Be 'Catastrophic.' Study Shows Heat Could Become Deadlier Than...

More than a half century ago, the oil industry's top lobbyist warned his peers of the potentially "catastrophic consequences" of burning fossil fuels, consequences that are already starting to unfold as historic heat scorches Siberia and bakes the Middle East this summer. Extreme heat is among the

Fossil Fuel Industry Engaging in 'Pervasive Fraud' that Threatens Global Economy, Report Warns

Warning of an impending financial implosion driven largely by fossil fuel industry deception, a recent report calls on fossil fuel insiders and other potential whistleblowers to help expose and prosecute this fraud.

Historic Supreme Court Verdict Means Ireland's Government Must Increase Climate Ambition

The Supreme Court of Ireland has ruled in favour of an environmental group challenging the Irish government's climate plans, finding its policies did not meet legal requirements for detailing how the country will meet emissions-reduction targets.

Unplugged: How the Gas Industry Is Fighting Efforts to Electrify Buildings

Just over a year ago, the city of Berkeley, California, passed into law a first-in-the-nation ordinance prohibiting natural gas hookups in new buildings, a move that alarmed the gas industry. This alarm has since boiled over into a full-fledged opposition campaign to counter the rising tide of

Mainstream News Prioritises Big Business and Opponents of Climate Action - Study

Statements from large business associations and opponents of climate action are twice as likely to be included in climate change coverage by national newspapers than pro-climate action messaging, according to a new study. The findings suggest mainstream media bias favors entrenched economic

Court Rules Bayou Bridge Pipeline 'Trampled' Rights of Louisiana Landowners

A Louisiana state appeals court has ruled that the Bayou Bridge Pipeline Company illegally "trampled" on the rights of landowners by starting pipeline construction without the landowners' permission. The pipeline company must pay the landowners $10,000 each plus attorneys fees.

Industry Groups Sued EPA Over Obama Ozone Standards. Under Trump, They Support Them

Large business and industry associations representing the fossil fuel industry welcomed a July 13 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announcement that the agency would not be strengthening air quality standards for ozone pollution, the main ingredient in smog.

Report: Push for Renewable Natural Gas Is More Gas Industry 'Greenwashing'

"Renewable natural gas," or RNG, is an alternative gas fuel that comes from landfills, manure, or synthetic processes. That's opposed to the fossil gas that drillers traditionally pump out of underground reserves in oil and gas fields.

'The Cost of Plastics Is Lives': House Oversight Hearing Highlights Environmental Justice Burdens...

During a congressional hearing Tuesday, a plastics industry executive echoed a common refrain from the industry: "Plastic saves lives." However, for many communities of color living in close proximity to the petrochemical plants producing those plastics, the exact opposite is often true.

Report: Global Climate Lawsuits Against Governments and Polluters on the Rise

Climate litigation is not going away any time soon. Lawsuits demanding accountability and action on the existential threat of climate change continue to take hold across the world with some significant new developments and new cases emerging over the past year, according to a new report on trends in global climate change litigation.

Oil Industry and Allies Look to Pump Brakes on Democrats' Plans to Move Transportation Off Petroleum

This week Congressional Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives put forward policies, including passing a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill on July 1, aimed at cleaning up the number one source of carbon pollution in America - the transportation sector. The oil and gas industry and its

Irish Government Faces Supreme Court Challenge Over Inadequate Climate Action

A lawsuit brought by an environmental group against the Irish government seeking more urgent action to stave off climate catastrophe and protect citizens came before the country's Supreme Court last week. If successful, it could have a ripple effect on courts being used to hold national governments

Democrats' New Climate Plan Says Polluters Shouldn't Receive Immunity From Lawsuits for Climate...

On Tuesday, June 30, Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, led by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, released a comprehensive action plan for tackling climate change. Some environmental groups criticized the plan for lacking ambition and not directly targeting fossil fuel production.

'Slam Dunk' Study Finds Trump EPA's Move Not to Tighten Air Pollution Standards Would Prematurely...

A new study from public health researchers provides the strongest evidence yet that increased exposure to a type of air pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks that's known as fine particulate matter (PM2.5), or soot, can cause premature death. This peer-reviewed study of air pollution impacts on

DC Is the Latest to Sue Exxon and Big Oil for Climate Disinformation Campaigns

Washington, D.C. is suing the four largest investor-owned oil and gas companies - BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell - for allegedly misleading consumers about climate change, including historically undermining climate science and even now using deceptive advertising about the companies' role in

Minnesota Attorney General Sues Exxon, Koch and API for Climate Deception

Minnesota has officially joined the climate accountability movement with the announcement on Wednesday, June 24 of a groundbreaking lawsuit against fossil fuel behemoths such as ExxonMobil and Koch Industries and the nation's largest oil and gas lobbying group for alleged deception on climate change

Fossil Fuel Companies and Their Supporters Ask Supreme Court to Intervene in Climate Lawsuits

California communities last month got an important procedural win in their efforts to get fossil fuel companies to pay for climate-related impacts. On May 26, a federal appeals court ruled that their lawsuits could go ahead in state court, which is their preferred venue, rather than federal court.

In Break With Trump's EPA, Nevada Announces Plan to Cut Tailpipe Emissions

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak announced on Monday, June 22, that Nevada would be developing a policy to increase the number of zero and low-emission vehicles sold within the state.

Transportation Fairness Alliance Revealed: Behind the Oil Industry's Latest Attack on Electric Cars

Earlier this spring, while much of the nation's attention focused on the coronavirus crisis, the U.S. oil and gas industry quietly launched a new coalition using messaging that invokes "transportation fairness." Like other petroleum interest front groups that have campaigned against clean

How to stop progress

How to stop progress If we added together all the ways our transport is killing us it would show a global massacre, with one of the biggest perpetrators being the motor car. Over a million people are killed on the world's roads each year.

For Decades, the Oil and Gas Industry Got Taxpayer Help from the Fracking Production Tax Credit

Before the U.S. fracking boom took off, shale drillers had access for over two decades to a particular tax incentive that experts say played a key role in setting the stage for the so-called shale revolution.

Trump EPA's Refusal to Strengthen Air Quality Standards Most Likely to Harm Communities of Color,...

In April, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal lobbyist, proposed maintaining, rather than strengthening, national air quality standards for soot, a type of air pollution with serious impacts for heart and lung health. This week, an independent panel

Congress Investigates How Marathon Petroleum and Koch Network Influenced Clean Cars Rollbacks

On Thursday, May 28, several Democratic members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, along with Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), sent a letter to Marathon Petroleum seeking information on the oil company's involvement in the Trump administration's rollback of clean car standards. The

California Leads Multi-State Lawsuit Against Trump Admins' Clean Car Rollback

A coalition of 23 states plus the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, challenging the Trump Administration's rollback of the Obama-era clean car standards. Those standards mandated stronger reductions of greenhouse gas emissions from new light-duty

Exxon Sued Again for 'Misleading' Advertising

ExxonMobil is facing yet another lawsuit challenging the corporation's allegedly deceptive behavior related to climate change. The latest suit, filed May 15 in the D.C. Superior Court, claims the oil major is misleading consumers with "false and deceptive" advertising about its investments in "clean

EPA Clean Air Panel Chair Dismisses His Oil Industry Ties, Slams Harvard Study on Air Pollution...

The head of a federal committee tasked with advising the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on air quality science recently disparaged a new Harvard study examining the link between air pollution and coronavirus fatalities across the country. The EPA adviser's critical remarks appear consistent

Climate Deniers Argue Carbon Pollution Is Beneficial, Again Take Aim at EPA's Endangerment Finding

Climate science deniers at think tanks with fossil fuel ties are doubling down on attempts to undermine the bases for regulating climate pollution, from attacking estimated carbon pollution costs used in regulatory analyses to urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to reverse its own

Leader of Gas Industry Front Group Used Public Health Threat to Cancel Climate Policy Vote in...

A gas industry union leader and chair of a group funded by California's largest gas utility threatened to protest with "no social distancing" a vote last month on a city policy in San Luis Obispo that would support electrification in new buildings, according to emails obtained by Climate

Colorado Plans to Eliminate Emissions from Road Transportation

Colorado is moving ahead with a plan to get nearly 1 million electric vehicles (EV) on its roads by 2030 and, for the first time, has adopted a long-term goal of transitioning to 100 percent electric and zero-emission vehicles.

House Democrats Highlight Impacts of Trump Admin's Favors for Fossil Fuels During Pandemic

On Tuesday, May 5, several Democratic members of the House Natural Resources Committee hosted a virtual discussion calling out how far the Trump administration has gone to cater to fossil fuel interests during the COVID-19 crisis and how that favoritism affects average Americans.

EPA Has Been Captured by Fossil Fuel Interests, Democratic Senators Tell Court

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Trump administration is run by fossil fuel allies determined to do polluters' bidding, U.S. senators are telling the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The group of Democratic senators calls out this extensive fossil fuel industry influence in a recent

'Energy Policy Advocates' and the Fossil Fuel Boosters Attacking Legal Efforts to Hold Climate...

While fossil fuel companies defend against mounting climate liability lawsuits in court, their surrogates are working in parallel to target the attorneys, academics, and institutions supporting these lawsuits. This defensive strategy involves vigorous public records requests, and in some cases legal

Report: Nearly Half of Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air

As the death toll from COVID-19 continues to rise in the U.S. - and as initial studies suggest that long-term exposure to air pollution may lead to higher death rates from the disease - a new report finds that nearly five in 10 Americans are breathing polluted air.

Amid Historic Oil Collapse, an Opportunity to Accelerate Clean Transportation

This story is a part of Covering Climate Now's week of coverage focused on Climate Solutions, to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Covering Climate Now is a global journalism collaboration committed to strengthening coverage of the climate story.

Trump Admin Looks to Use Federal COVID Relief Funds to Prop up Oil and Gas Industry

The Trump administration is eyeing new strategies to support a struggling oil and gas sector, which may include freeing up funds or facilitating access to lending programs under coronavirus economic relief efforts, even as millions of Americans remain unemployed and with coronavirus testing and

Big Oil Foresaw Extreme Flooding Now Predicted to Hit US Coasts Almost Daily

Oil companies have long been aware that their products cause global warming and the impacts, including from rising seas, could be catastrophic. From a scientist who warned executives in 1959 that New York could be submerged, to a confidential 1988 Shell report that raised the possibility of

Baltimore, Rhode Island Argue They're Suing Fossil Fuel Companies Over Climate Deception

At a time when fossil fuel companies are using a public health crisis to demand financial and regulatory support, the governments of Baltimore and Rhode Island are calling out a "decades-long campaign of deception" by these companies in urging courts to advance lawsuits trying to hold polluters

Trump Admin Bypasses Congress, Offers Backup Storage to Boost Troubled Oil Industry

After Congress declined to allocate $3 billion of the recent economic stimulus package to fill the government's emergency stockpile of oil, the Trump administration has taken its own steps to provide short-term relief to the U.S. petroleum sector.

Under Cover of Pandemic, Fossil Fuel Interests Unleash Lobbying Frenzy

Thousands of Americans are dying, millions have filed for unemployment, and frontline health care workers are risking their lives as the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the U.S. In the midst of this crisis, the fossil fuel industry, particularly the oil and gas sector, has been actively seeking

Court Rules EPA Can't Keep Secret Key Model Used in Clean Car Rule Rollback

A federal appeals court ruled April 1 that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had no basis to withhold one key part of a computer model used by the agency to develop its less stringent greenhouse gas emission standards for new vehicles.

Trump Admin Weakens Clean Car Standards Despite Its Analyses Showing Rule Favors Big Oil Over...

The Trump administration today announced the final rule that rolls back Obama-era clean vehicle standards, a move that, according to the government's own analyses, is expected to benefit the oil industry and harm consumers, public health, and the climate. Experts also warn it will result in litigation and global market inconsistency to the detriment of automakers.

$3 Billion 'Bailout' for Oil Producers Dropped From Economic Stimulus Package

Bucking President Trump's directive for buying oil to fill up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR), Senate Democrats last week nixed what they say was a $3 billion bailout for oil producers from the coronavirus economic stimulus bill that passed the Senate on March 25. An earlier version of the $2

Yet Another Study Confirms: Electric Cars Reduce Climate Pollution

Electric cars are better for the climate than gas-powered vehicles in nearly every part of the world. That's the clear, unequivocal finding of the first study that conducted a global examination of the current and future greenhouse gas emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) and gas-powered cars. This

Why Public Health Experts Support These Youth Suing the US Government Over Climate Change

Leading experts in the medical community, including two former U.S. Surgeons General, recently filed supporting briefs backing a youth climate lawsuit against the federal government because, like the current coronavirus pandemic, the climate crisis poses "unprecedented threats to public health and

Shell's Latest Annual Report: More Greenwashing?

Two years after internal documents surfaced showing that Royal Dutch Shell, like ExxonMobil, knew about climate dangers decades ago, the oil giant released its latest annual report outlining its business strategy and approach to addressing climate change. Despite clear warnings from scientists,

Oil Industry Front Group Launches Latest Attack on Electric Vehicle Tax Credit in Senate Energy Bill

As this week the U.S. Senate tries to advance stalled bipartisan energy legislation, the American Energy Alliance (AEA) last week announced its latest initiative opposing any tax credit extension for electric vehicles (EV) in that bill.

In Senate Hearing, Economic Experts Warn Climate Crisis Could Spur Financial Crash Like 2008

Could the climate crisis precipitate a financial crash akin to or even greater than the one in 2008? With markets currently in turmoil due to the coronavirus pandemic, experts testified Thursday that there is high risk for an even larger economic crisis absent urgent climate policy.

'Fossil Fuel Companies Knew': Honolulu Files Lawsuit Over Climate Impacts

Hawaii has officially joined the fight to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for the climate crisis. On Monday the City of Honolulu filed a lawsuit against 10 oil and gas companies, seeking monetary damages to help pay for costs associated with climate impacts like sea level rise and flooding.

Oil Execs, Anxious About Public Support, Claim Halting Fossil Fuel Production Would Be 'Criminal'

A new oil and gas industry ad pushes back against growing calls to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the climate crisis - by making the bold statement that it would be criminal not to produce oil and gas.

Baltimore Climate Liability Suit Will Proceed in State Court

The city of Baltimore is one step closer to holding fossil fuel companies liable for localized climate impacts. A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that the case will proceed in Maryland state court, rejecting the companies' appeal to move the suit to federal court.

Longtime Climate Science Foe David Schnare Uses 'Scare Tactics' to Bash Transportation Climate...

Opponents of a regional proposal to curb transportation sector emissions in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are using a number of deceptive tactics to attack and criticize the Transportation and Climate Initiative. Groups tied to the oil industry have pointed to misleading studies, deployed

Oil and Gas Firms Reward Politicians When They Vote Against the Environment, Finds New Study

It is no secret that many members of Congress particularly on the Republican side are in the pockets of their fossil fuel funders. The strategy of these special interests is to keep loyal lawmakers in their pockets through hefty campaign contributions, according to a new study exploring the purpose

Report Attacks Industry Campaign to Fix Natural Gas's Climate PR Problem

A new report from advocacy group Food and Water Watch argues that fracking and continued reliance on natural gas is detrimental to addressing climate change. The report, which calls out the fossil fuel industry's misleading narratives around natural gas, comes at a time when progressive members of

Exxon Downplays Climate Risk to Oil and Gas in New Report

Climate change is not a crisis, according to ExxonMobil's latest climate risk report to shareholders and the public. Despite ongoing record-setting global temperatures, wildfires, and other impacts, the oil and gas giant contends that growing climate instability does not rule out continued production of fossil fuels.

California Communities Argue Their Climate Liability Suits Are Based on Fossil Fuel...

In back-to-back hearings before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday, lawyers representing California cities and counties suing fossil fuel companies over localized climate impacts argued their cases are based on the companies' alleged campaigns of deception around climate science that

Exxon, Chevron, Chase reject shareholder requests to address climate risk

ExxonMobil has dismissed a shareholder proposal calling for the company to disclose how it plans to align its business with Paris Agreement climate targets, calling it "materially false and misleading." Other companies with significant stakes in fossil fuels are also resisting similar requests from shareholders to take responsibility for their contributions to climate change.

Local authorities, activist groups sue French oil giant Total to cut emissions

Updated, Jan. 30-The French petroleum company Total is facing a new climate lawsuit by several environmental groups and 14 local governments seeking to force the company to reduce emissions to protect French citizens. The groups served an official court summons on Total on Tuesday in a court near Paris.

Groups Funded by Oil Industry Bash Plan to Reduce Northeast's Dependence on Oil

Last month New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu announced the state would not be participating in the Transportation and Climate Initiative (TCI), a regional cap-and-trade program aimed at reducing carbon emissions from vehicles. The program is still in early stages of development, but groups tied

Judges Point Dismissed Youth Climate Plaintiffs to Political System Corrupted by Fossil Fuel Cash

When a pair of Ninth Circuit Court judges ordered dismissal of a landmark youth climate change lawsuit last week, they concluded that the U.S. government may be harming the nation's youth through its fossil fuel-based energy policy, but that courts cannot stop that harm. "Rather, the plaintiffs'

Court allows drilling leases, but says Norway must count all oil emissions

While an appeals court in Norway has ruled that the government should be accountable for all the emissions from oil drilled in Norwegian territory, it refused to invalidate the drilling leases that were challenged in a lawsuit by two environmental groups.

Youth lawsuit challenges Germany's newest climate law

A group of young people in Germany are suing the German government over climate policy they say fails to protect their fundamental rights. The lawsuit, filed last week by nine plaintiffs between the ages of 15 and 32, asks the Federal Constitutional Court to review Germany's new climate protection law passed in November.

YouTube Still Monetizing, Promoting Climate Science Denial, Report Finds

You don't have to look far to find misinformation about climate science continuing to spread online through prominent social media channels like YouTube. That's despite the overwhelming scientific consensus that humans are driving the climate crisis.

Indonesia flood victims launch lawsuit vs. government

Victims of disastrous flooding in and around Indonesia's capital of Jakarta, the result of torrential downpours that killed more than 60 people and displaced more than 175,000 earlier this month, launched a class action lawsuit Monday against the Jakarta government.

Fossil Fuel Interests Applaud Trump Admin's Weakening of Major Environmental Law

Industry groups including oil and gas trade associations were quick to pile on the praise following President Trump's announcement Thursday, January 9 of major overhauls to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 50-year-old bedrock environmental statute requires federal agencies to review

Climate costs soar: Billion-dollar disasters doubled last decade

The last decade was the warmest on record and also the costliest, with more than twice the number of billion-dollar extreme weather events in the U.S. as the previous decade. There were 119 disasters from 2010-19 that topped $1 billion in damages, compared to 59 of them from 2000-09, according to new data released by NOAA.

Louisiana Landowners Appeal Bayou Bridge Pipeline's Right to Seize Their Land After Trespassing

A Louisiana appeals court heard oral arguments Wednesday, January 8 in a case brought by Louisiana landowners against the Bayou Bridge Pipeline Company that illegally trespassed and began pipeline construction without landowners' consent. Attorneys for the landowners are asking the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a lower court decision granting the pipeline company's eminent domain right to seize the land.

Growing group of states backs Rhode Island's climate suit vs. Big Oil

More than a dozen states filed an amicus brief on Friday supporting Rhode Island's climate lawsuit against fossil fuel companies. The coalition of states supporting Rhode Island's case is the largest yet, with Maine, Delaware, and Hawaii weighing in for the first time on litigation seeking to hold Big Oil accountable for climate change impacts.

A Look Back at Some of DeSmog's Major Investigations of 2019

As 2019 comes to a close, DeSmog is reflecting on another year that featured high-impact investigations and accountability reporting by our team of journalists about the reckless fossil fuel industry. From new revelations regarding dangerous fossil fuel infrastructure, to new documents shedding

Fossil fuel companies begin to acknowledge climate litigation could impact their bottom line

Fossil fuel companies facing climate-related litigation are starting to acknowledge in their financial disclosure forms that these legal challenges could harm their business. Dozens of companies have been named in more than a dozen climate liability lawsuits filed by communities across the country.

Trump's Christmas Gift to Big Oil: Killing Hopes of Electric Car Tax Credit Extension

The oil industry, a staunch opponent of electric vehicles (EVs), received an early Christmas present from the White House as President Trump reportedly intervened to quash an EV tax credit expansion from inclusion in a government spending package. The tax credit is meant to help offset the upfront cost of electric vehicles and boost the EV market.

Automakers Accelerating Climate Change, Failing to Put the Brakes on Emissions

Automakers are failing to drive a rapid shift towards low-carbon transport, according to a new analysis, indicating that the industry is not aligned with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees C.

Public Comments Reveal Big Oil and Koch-backed Opposition to Minnesota's Clean Car Standards

As Minnesota begins the rulemaking process to adopt a pair of clean car standards, citizens and organizations weighed in with their comments and concerns, through an official Request for Comments portal. A DeSmog analysis found that a majority of the hundreds of comments received were supportive of the initiative, which aims to reduce the state's transportation-sector emissions.

Fourth Circuit to rule on whether Baltimore climate case should stay in state court

Fossil fuel companies facing a climate liability lawsuit brought by Baltimore argued in court on Wednesday that the case involves federal regulatory powers and should not proceed in state court. The lawsuit, which seeks monetary damages to help pay for climate impacts, was originally filed in Maryland state court last year.

Exxon, Suncor argue for dismissal of Colorado climate suit

Oil companies ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy are asking a Colorado court to dismiss a climate lawsuit filed against them last year by the counties of Boulder and San Miguel and the city of Boulder. The companies filed a motion to dismiss the case late Monday in Boulder County District Court, where the case was initially filed in April 2018.

Since Paris Agreement, Global Financial Firms Have Sunk $745 Billion into New Coal Plant Development

BlackRock, Vanguard, Citigroup, and JPMorgan Chase are among the top global financers of new coal development, according to new research presented during the United Nations climate summit in Madrid. That research, published by the German NGO Urgewald along with BankTrack and 30 partner organizations, reveals and ranks the financial institutions sinking money into the dirtiest form of fossil fuels in the three years since the Paris Agreement was signed.

BP Accused of 'Greenwashing' and Deceiving Public With Renewable Energy Ads

print By Dana Drugmand An environmental law organization has launched a first-of-its-kind complaint against British Petroleum over the company's latest advertising, claiming it is misleading to consumers. ClientEarth submitted its complaint Wednesday to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which governs responsible business conduct for multinational enterprises.

Kids file climate lawsuit vs. Ontario government for backsliding on emissions cuts

A group of young Canadians have filed a climate lawsuit against the province of Ontario, claiming that the government's rollback of climate policies under Ontario Premier Doug Ford violates their fundamental rights. The new lawsuit, Mathur et. al. v. Her Majesty in Right of Ontario, challenges the weakening of Ontario's 2030 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

Oil and Gas Industry Rebukes Fracking Ban Talk as UN Shows Just How Much Fossil Fuel Plans Are...

The American Petroleum Institute, the nation's largest oil and gas trade association, is promoting a new video touting domestic natural gas production as essential to energy security. The video, titled "America's Energy Security: A Generation of Progress At Risk?" comes at a time when calls for

Transportation Climate Initiative Draws Opposition from Oil and Gasoline Business Groups

As California continues to battle the Trump administration over the state's authority to set stricter greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles, a coalition of East Coast states is facing a potential battle of its own, with opposition emerging to the states' plan to tackle transportation

Irish climate case appealed to the country's Supreme Court

An environmental organization suing the Irish government to challenge the country's climate policy has appealed the dismissal of its case, and is taking that appeal all the way to the Supreme Court. The Friends of the Irish Environment (FIE) appealed on Friday to the Court of Appeal.

Governments' fossil fuel policies could leave them open to climate liability

If countries produce all the fossil fuels they currently have planned, the world has no chance of limiting global warming to the 2 degrees Celsius goal of the Paris Climate Agreement, a new report finds. That conclusion could bolster the cases being pursued around the world to hold governments accountable for their policies' impact on the climate.

Rachel Maddow's New Book on Russia, Oil, and Politics Accidentally Had Perfect Timing With Trump...

As public hearings in the Trump impeachment inquiry headed into their second week, one of the nation's top political cable news hosts was connecting the dots between the rise of authoritarianism, challenges to democracy, and the corrupting power of the oil and gas industry.

Norway: We are not responsible for climate impacts of burning our oil

In arguing against a lawsuit pushing for the invalidation of its oil leases in the Arctic, the Norwegian government defended the continued oil exploration, saying it is not responsible for the emissions created when that oil is burned elsewhere.

Koch Industries Ramps Up Lobbying Against Clean Car Policies

Koch Industries, the second largest privately held company in the United States, has significantly increased its lobbying spending this year, including efforts to influence policy on key climate and transportation issues and legislation. Mandatory disclosure forms reveal that lobbying by Koch Industries is up by almost 20 percent compared to this time last year.

Warren calls for companies to be held liable for perjury, cites Exxon

Democratic presidential contender Elizabeth Warren called for companies that deliberately mislead federal regulators to be prosecuted under a new corporate perjury law, according to a plan she released Tuesday, using Exxon as an example. Warren's "Fighting Corporate Perjury" plan would allow corporate officers to be held criminally liable for providing false or misleading information, including by using industry-funded studies, to regulatory agencies.

Financial Disclosures Show Why Toyota and GM Sided With Trump's Clean Car Rollbacks to Preserve...

It's been a bumpy ride for the auto industry in the ongoing battle over clean car regulations and California's authority to set stricter rules for vehicle emissions. The industry is now divided as several automakers reached a deal over the summer with California to embrace a cleaner emissions

Honolulu will file next climate liability suit vs. oil industry

Honolulu will join the growing wave of U.S. municipalities that have filed climate liability suits against fossil fuel companies. Mayor Kirk Caldwell said on Tuesday he intends to file suit against BP, Chevron, Shell, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, the BHP Group, Marathon and Aloha Petroleum to hold them accountable for climate impacts to the city.

German climate case dismissed, but court recognizes a human right to a safe climate

A German court has dismissed a climate lawsuit against the German government by three farming families and Greenpeace Germany. The Berlin Administrative Court ruled Thursday that the plaintiffs' fundamental rights had not yet been violated by the government's failure to meet its 2020 emission reduction target, as the complaint alleged.

'Is This About the Oil Industry?' House Oversight Hearing Explores Big Oil's Role in Weakening...

The House Oversight Committee, which last week heard testimony on the oil industry's efforts to suppress climate science, continued to probe the industry's deception and influence with a hearing on the Trump administration's proposed rollbacks of clean car standards - rollbacks that stand to benefit

Polling Experts Bash Koch-Funded Electric Car Survey as 'Highly Biased' and 'Highly Misleading'

Fossil fuel interests appear intent on swaying public opinion about the electric vehicle tax credit, based on recent polling on the policy. A deeper look at these efforts reveals oil and gas funding behind the groups conducting the polls and blatant bias in the polling methodology, according to

Canadian Kids Follow U.S. Lead, Sue Government for Exacerbating Climate Change

A group of young Canadians is suing the federal government over climate change, an action that is part of a burgeoning global youth movement demanding climate justice through the courts. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 15 young people aged 10-19, mirrors the claims and demands of the landmark American youth climate case Juliana v.

Massachusetts becomes second state to sue Exxon for climate fraud

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey sued ExxonMobil on Thursday in the first state lawsuit alleging both consumer and investor fraud over climate risks. Healey said that while Exxon has long known its products drive climate destabilization, the world's largest publicly traded oil and gas company has misled consumers with deceptive advertising and failed to disclose climate-related risks to its investors.

House hearing calls out decades of oil industry deception on climate

A panel of climate and legal experts that also included two former Exxon employees testified in Congress on Wednesday about the oil industry's long history of suppressing what it knew about fossil fuels' role in climate change.

'The Empowerment Alliance' and Other New Dark Money Groups Sound a Lot Like the Natural Gas Industry

Amid the crescendo of calls for climate action and rising rage directed at the fossil fuel industry, petroleum producers and their allies are engaging in an aggressive promotional push focused on natural gas. The same month that the American Petroleum Institute (API) started running ads emphasizing

Supreme Court rules against Big Oil, refuses to halt three climate cases

The U.S. Supreme Court denied applications by fossil fuel companies to halt three climate liability lawsuits against them. The court's order allows the cases filed by Baltimore, Rhode Island and three Colorado communities to proceed in state court while the companies pursue appeals to move the cases to federal court.

Minnesota AG: Climate liability recalls state's fight against tobacco industry

The attorney general of Minnesota, one of the states that took a lead role in holding the tobacco industry accountable for public health costs in the 1990s, said he is acutely aware of the potential of litigation to hold fossil fuel companies responsible for climate change.

Alaska Supreme Court considers appeal of kids climate case

Young Alaskans who are suing their state government over climate change harms had their appeal heard on Wednesday in the state's highest court, which will decide whether to allow the case to proceed to trial. The 16 young plaintiffs are alleging the state violated their rights under Alaska's constitution by promoting fossil fuel development despite knowing it drove climate change.

Another lawsuit challenges federal fossil fuel leasing in Colorado over climate impacts

Three environmental conservation groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for failing to account for the climate impacts of planned oil and gas extraction on public lands in western Colorado. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado by the Center for Biological Diversity, Wilderness Workshop, and the Wilderness Society.

Constitutional law expert will advice Canadian communities on climate cases

As Canadian communities continue to lay the groundwork for liability cases against fossil fuel companies, one of the country's leading constitutional and public law attorneys announced he would be offering a legal opinion to the communities free of charge. That announcement by Joseph Arvay of the firm Arvay Finlay came during the recent Union of British Columbia Municipalities convention.

Big Oil Pushes Back Against Minnesota Clean Car Announcement

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced last week that the state would be adopting a pair of clean car standards following California's lead, even as the Trump administration tries to revoke California's authority to set stricter standards under federal law. But Minnesota's move is already prompting

Lawsuit challenges Poland's dirtiest coal plant, demands reduced emissions

A groundbreaking new lawsuit challenging a Polish coal plant-the largest single emitter of carbon dioxide in Europe-was launched Thursday by the environmental law organization ClientEarth. The suit is the first seeking to hold a coal plant operator liable for environmental and climate harm under a Polish law that designates the environment as a "common good."

Norway must curtail oil production to fight climate change, UN expert says

Ahead of a November court hearing in a lawsuit challenging the Norwegian government's approval of offshore oil drilling, a UN human rights official is calling on Norway to cease new oil exploration and to "accept substantial responsibility" for addressing the climate crisis.

Human Rights Leaders Unveil New Climate Declaration

By Dana Drugmand International human rights leaders will deliver a new declaration on climate, rights and human survival to world leaders when they assemble this weekend for the United Nations climate action summit in New York and say they will hold governments and corporations most responsible for the climate crisis accountable through litigation and other actions.

Court advisors urge Dutch Supreme Court to uphold historic climate verdict

Two independent judicial officials in the Netherlands have advised the Dutch Supreme Court to uphold a groundbreaking ruling in the case Urgenda v. The Netherlands that requires the government to more aggressively cut the country's emissions. The formal opinion, issued Friday, came from the Advocate General and Procurator General, independent positions inside the country's judiciary system.

As Big Oil digs for more despite climate risks, investor lawsuits may grow

With the oil industry continuing to invest heavily in projects all but assured to lose money as the world moves toward a lower-carbon economy, as a study published last week shows, investors may increasingly turn to shareholder lawsuits to protect their investments.

Exxon climate history on trial: Legal challenges reach critical mass this fall

As a wave of climate liability lawsuits come to a crescendo this fall, one fossil fuel major finds itself facing peril from more directions than any other: ExxonMobil. With the trial in New York's lawsuit against the company for climate fraud starting Oct.

Kamala Harris: Fossil fuel industry should be held accountable for climate crisis

Sen. Kamala Harris became the latest Democratic presidential candidate to include holding the fossil fuel industry accountable for climate change among her policies to tackle the issue if she is elected. During a televised town hall event Wednesday night, Harris, a former prosecutor and attorney general of California, said she would work to hold the industry liable for the damage it has caused to the climate.

Could Rights of Nature Laws Help Save Endangered Orcas? - Yes! Magazine

The Pacific Northwest's most iconic species-the orcas that live in the Salish Sea year-round-are on the brink of extinction with just 73 whales remaining as of July 1. The Southern Resident orcas have made headlines repeatedly over the past year, including the recent loss of three adult whales and last summer's widely reported story of a female who carried her dead calf for more than two weeks and over 1,000 miles.

AGs say revised federal policy ignores climate change, endangers communities

A coalition of 19 attorneys general is pushing back against what they say is an attempt by the Trump administration to disregard climate change impacts when conducting environmental reviews as required under the National Environmental Policy Act. The attorneys general filed a comment letter on Tuesday opposing the Council on Environmental Quality's draft guidance regarding greenhouse gas emissions, which was issued in June.

Sanders' climate plan includes holding the fossil fuel Industry accountable

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders released his plan for tackling the climate crisis on Thursday, and it includes perhaps the strongest call yet for holding fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change--including pursuing criminal liability. "Fossil fuel executives should be criminally prosecuted for the destruction they have knowingly caused," Sanders said via Twitter.

Australian leader mocks Pacific Islands' survival amid pleas for climate action

As a tense meeting of countries in the Pacific region concluded last week with Australia forcing a watered-down statement climate change, Australia's deputy prime minister further demonstrated the government's disregard for Pacific islands' pleas for urgent climate action to ensure their survival.

Pacific islands group pushes for international court ruling on climate and human rights

As leaders of Pacific island nations converge this week in Tuvalu, a group of students from the region are calling on their governments to bring the issue of climate justice to the highest court in the world.

Baltimore climate suit proceeds in state court while oil companies appeal

The oil companies being sued by the city of Baltimore for the costs of climate damages have appealed a recent decision by a federal judge sending the case to state court.

New carbon bills won't let oil companies off the hook for climate costs

Members of Congress recently introduced three new carbon pricing bills aimed at curbing planet-warming emissions. While the bills vary in their policy details, none explicitly absolve the fossil fuel industry of potential tort liability in climate lawsuits brought by municipalities, unlike another recent plan supported by the fossil fuel industry.

Customers sue over California wildfire liability law

California rapidly passed a new law earlier this month that aims to strike a balance between guarding the state's investor-owned utilities against insurmountable liability costs from wildfires while also protecting fire victims and ratepayers from skyrocketing costs.

Canadian judge halts youth climate lawsuit

A Canadian judge halted a climate lawsuit filed by a group of young people in Quebec against the Canadian government, rejecting its class action status in a ruling last week. The lawsuit was brought by the organization ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU) on behalf of people age 35 and under in Quebec.

EU families appeal 'People's Climate Case' dismissal

The 10 families and one Swedish youth association that brought a lawsuit challenging the European Union's 2030 climate target have appealed their case to the European Court of Justice. The People's Climate Case was dismissed in May by the European General Court, which based its decision on a narrow interpretation of the planitiffs' standing.

Human rights and climate crisis are twin issues, earn an upcoming international summit

Climate justice and human rights advocates are convening the first global summit on human rights and climate change this September, hoping to kick-start an escalation in the international human rights community's response to the climate crisis.

Climate litigation has become a global trend, new report shows

Climate change-related lawsuits, once mostly limited to the U.S., have now been filed in nearly 30 countries, targeting governments and corporate polluters, according to the latest analysis of the trend. A new report was published last week by the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics.

UN human rights expert: Fossil fuel companies to blame for climate crisis

A United Nations human rights expert has called for a new report to serve as a stirring wake-up call for transformative change in the global response to the climate crisis, and warns that basic human rights, democracy, and the rule of law are at risk.

Inslee climate plan includes prosecuting fossil fuel producers

Democratic presidential candidate and Washington Gov. Jay Inslee unveiled a plan to directly challenge the fossil fuel industry, including holding polluters legally accountable and extending federal support to climate liability lawsuits against fossil fuel producers. "This industry has known about this for decades and has lied to the American people about it.

Marin County resolution: Big Oil should not be immune from climate liability

Marin County, Calif., is working to rally opposition to a carbon tax proposal that would also grant legal immunity to fossil fuel companies facing climate liability lawsuits-just like the one Marin and more than a dozen other communities have filed to hold those companies accountable for the costs of climate damages.

Mayors: Cities should not be left alone to foot the bill for climate costs

A group of mayors will propose a resolution that seeks to protect cities from shouldering the burden of climate adaptation costs at an upcoming meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The resolution also asks the group to oppose attempts to shield fossil fuel companies from climate liability lawsuits, alluding to a carbon tax proposal that would give legal immunity to the industry.

Climate lawsuit aims to stop federal fossil fuel leases in New Mexico

Following a federal court ruling that invalidated government oil and gas leasing in Wyoming on climate change grounds in March, a new lawsuit filed earlier this week seeks to overturn petroleum leasing on public land in New Mexico due to climate impacts. WildEarth Guardians sued the Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on Monday in U.S.

Trump Admin Argues No Constitutional Right to a Safe Climate Two Years After Ditching Paris Accord

Almost exactly two years after President Trump announced his plans to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, a groundbreaking youth climate change lawsuit challenging the federal government's promotion of fossil fuel energy was back in court for a long-awaited hearing. Before a three-judge panel in

Louisiana lawsuit wins jurisdictional tug-of-war vs. oil industry, sent to state court

A federal court decided last week to send a lawsuit filed by a Louisiana parish against oil and gas companies back to state court, the kind of jurisdictional battle also facing cities and counties across the country who have filed climate liability suits against some of the same companies.

Oil industry supporters argue cities cannot sue for climate liability

Industry trade groups, several law professors, a free-market legal think tank, the U.S. government and 18 states have rallied behind five major oil companies in fighting a major climate liability lawsuit.

Complaint charges Australia with human rights violations over climate change

A group of indigenous Australians have brought a legal complaint against the Australian government for violating their human rights by contributing to climate change. The complaint, filed by indigenous people from the Torres Strait Islands to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, alleges the government's inadequate response to the climate crisis is a violation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the world's oldest human rights treaty.

Chamber of Commerce reports: governments should squelch municipal climate suits

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which historically has worked to block climate policy and undermine international action, has proposed sweeping new rules to help fossil fuel companies fend off liability lawsuits seeking to hold them accountable for costly climate impacts.

Exxon faces another shareholder climate lawsuit

An ExxonMobil shareholder has filed a lawsuit against the oil giant and some of its executives alleging they misled investors by understating how much risk climate change poses to the company's assets. Sarah Von Colditz filed the suit Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Exxon fights class action suit from investors in federal court

ExxonMobil, currently a defendant in multiple climate change liability lawsuits and one for alleged securities fraud over its climate risk disclosures, has asked a federal judge in Texas to deny class certification in a class action suit brought by investors against the company. That suit, Ramirez v.

New York City moves to tackle emissions as it wrestles with climate costs

New York City, which is attempting to force fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change adaptation costs through a lawsuit, has passed groundbreaking legislation addressing its own greenhouse gas emissions. The New York City Council voted 45-2 on Thursday in favor of a suite of bills aimed at cutting carbon emissions, improving energy efficiency and advancing clean energy.

New Colorado law requires state to consider health impacts of oil drilling

Colorado has passed a law requiring state regulators to prioritize public health and the environment in regulating oil and gas operations, drawing sharp criticism from the fossil fuel industry and praise from a group of young people who had unsuccessfully sued the state trying to force those regulations. Gov.

Exxon Can't Avoid Shareholder Votes on Climate Change, Dark Money Contributions

Exxon cannot block its shareholders from voting on two new shareholder proposals, one calling on the oil giant to create a new board committee to address climate change and the other calling on the company to more fully disclose political contributions to tax-exempt organizations, including trade associations and other 501(c)(4) or "dark money" organizations.

Shell to cut ties with anti-climate trade group

Royal Dutch Shell is cutting ties with the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers over the group's stance on climate change. The decision came in response to demands by institutional investors for Shell to improve transparency on how its trade association membership aligns with its climate change positions.

Effort to hold governments accountable grows as climate impacts worsen

The impacts of climate change are accelerating, and human rights organizations are increasingly urging governments across the globe to uphold their human rights obligations by taking meaningful steps to curb climate change, according to a pair of recently released reports. This could spur an increase in climate change-related litigation.

Climate liability suits by San Franscisco, Oakland receive flood of support

Support piled in last week for the liability suits filed by San Francisco and Oakland against five oil companies, including friend-of-the-court briefs from six Democratic senators, several government associations as well as former Secretary of State John Kerry and former Environmental Protection Agency head Gina McCarthy.

Judge blocks Wyoming fossil fuel leases, says government must consider climate impacts

A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration's authorization of oil and gas leasing in Wyoming failed to adequately consider climate change, a decision that invalidated drilling leases for more than 300,000 acres of federal land.

Democratic state AGs rally behind San Francisco, Oakland climate suits

A group of 10 states and the District of Columbia filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday in support of San Francisco and Oakland's climate liability lawsuits against fossil fuel companies, arguing the cases belong in state court and that courts should play a role in forcing accountability for climate change.

Big banks can block shareholder climate proposals, SEC rules

The Securities and Exchange Commission recently allowed two large banks to block a shareholder proposal addressing the climate impact of the banks' investment portfolios. The proposal requested that Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo reduce the carbon footprint of their loan and investment portfolios to align with the Paris Climate Agreement's goal of holding global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

N.H. town passes law recognizing right to a healthy climate

The town of Exeter, N.H. passed an ordinance recognizing the right to a healthy climate, the second ordinance of its kind to be passed in the U.S,. The law, dubbed the Right to Healthy Climate Ordinance, recognizes the "right to a healthy climate system capable of sustaining human societies."

Exxon must face suit over climate risks to its Mass. facility, judge rules

A federal judge denied ExxonMobil's motion to dismiss multiple climate change-related claims brought by Conservation Law Foundation. The foundation's lawsuit, filed in 2016, alleges that Exxon violated the permit requirements for its oil storage terminal in Everett, Mass. by failing to consider the risk of imminent extreme weather events like flooding and storm surge.

Democratic AGs vow to keep fighting Trump's climate rollbacks

Following the release of a new report that warns of the dire consequences of the Trump administration's rollback of environmental protections, four Democratic state attorneys general vowed to continue fighting those rollbacks in court. The AGs of Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut spoke on Tuesday about their states' commitment to protecting the climate and the health of their citizens.

More than a dozen groups file briefs in support of kids climate suit

More than a dozen groups filed friend-of-the-court briefs to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the landmark youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States . The wide support came from businesses, members of Congress, environmental groups and environmental law organizations, environmental historians, law professors and international lawyers, the libertarian think tank Niskanen Center, public health experts, and religious and women's groups.

Coal company responds to investors, vows to cut production to battle climate change

One of the world's largest mining and natural resource companies announced it will limit coal production to reduce carbon emissions in response to investors who pushed the company to commit to a transition to a low-carbon economy. Glencore, a multinational mining company based in Switzerland, announced its plans after discussions with ...

Judge tosses Penn. case, challenges legal merit of kids climate cases

A federal judge in Pennsylvania dismissed a climate lawsuit brought by an environmental organization and two children against the federal government. The lawsuit, Clean Air Council v. United States , claimed that Trump administration rollbacks of environmental regulations and other "anti-science" decisions violate Constitutional rights and the public trust.

Youth climate movement gains steam, and signatures, to support landmark case

As students stage school walkouts in Europe to demand action on climate change-including more than 10,000 joining one strike in Great Britain last Friday-thousands of kids in the U.S. have signed a petition to support the 21 young people suing the federal government over climate change.

Shell faces lawsuit in the Netherlands, a new legal front in the climate battle

Seven environmental and human rights organizations in the Netherlands announced on Tuesday they are prepared to sue Royal Dutch Shell if the oil giant refuses to align its business model with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

Oil companies fighting NYC climate suit ignore liability issue

The five oil and gas companies sued by New York City last year over climate change-related damages doubled down on their argument that courts should not be in the business of regulating global warming. They argued their case anew in a brief they filed to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals last week.

Rhode Island argues to keep its climate suit in state court

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The latest installment in the debate over whether climate liability suits should be heard in federal or state court took place Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island. The hearing dealt with a motion to remand to state court a case filed last July by Rhode Island against 21 oil and gas companies seeking damages from climate change-related impacts.

Ninth Circuit nominee has history of defending Big Oil, including in liability cases

An attorney who has defended the oil industry in high-profile climate and environmental cases, including the current crop of climate liability lawsuits, has been nominated by President Trump to fill a vacancy on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Daniel P.

States, organizations, scientists urge court to keep climate suits in state court

Eight briefs were filed on Wednesday in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in support of the California communities trying to keep their climate liability lawsuits against fossil fuel companies in state court. The friend-of-the-court briefs came from government groups, two advocacy organizations, prominent climate scientists, academics who study climate deception and U.S.

Colorado can ignore health, climate impacts of fracking, court rules

The Colorado Supreme Court reversed a lower court ruling on Monday and ruled against a set of youth plaintiffs who sought to force the state to consider the impacts on public health and the climate in allowing oil and gas development.

Massive wildfire costs could sink California's largest utility

Facing billions of dollars in damage costs and numerous lawsuits for its role in sparking devastating wildfires in northern California, the state's largest utility is now exploring options to avoid financial ruin, including a possible bankruptcy filing . But while Pacific Gas & Electric Co.

Climate costs in 2018: Top 10 disasters cost $85 billion

With 2018 having just drawn to a close, some organizations have begun to tally the staggering climate-related costs of a year featuring severe drought, heat, fires, floods and storms around the world. Ten of the biggest disasters cost at least in total damages, according to a recent report by the United Kingdom-based organization Christian Aid.

2018 in climate liability: When a trend became a wave

Climate liability lawsuits exploded onto the world stage in 2018-a year that began with New York City suing five oil majors and ended with France facing a potential lawsuit for failing to make climate progress and the European Parliament announcing a probe into ExxonMobil's decades-long climate misinformation campaign.

France, home of the Paris Agreement, faces lawsuit for lack of climate progress

Amid increasingly urgent warnings that the world is nowhere close to meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, several nonprofit organizations initiated legal action this week against France, the nation that hosted the climate negotiations that produced the landmark agreement in 2015.

Study: Businesses vastly underestimate costs, impacts of climate change

Despite recent reports that highlight the potentially devastating economic impact of climate change, the business world may not be taking the threat seriously enough, according to a .

The Koch Brothers' Last Ditch Attempt to Kill the Electric Vehicle Tax Credit

As Congress debates what, if anything, to do with the federal electric vehicle (EV) tax credit, the oil industry is fighting to kill the popular incentive, which is hitting some key milestones in the program.

Lawmakers grill gas company executives on safety practices after devastating explosion

Boston - Three months after an overpressurized gas line caused fiery explosions and one fatality in the Merrimack Valley, executives from Massachusetts' five major gas utilities faced fiery questioning and scrutiny on industry safety practices by a state legislative committee.

Miami aims to protect lower income residents from climate displacement

As Miami struggles to plan for the impact of rising seas, its City Commission has taken the unusually forward-looking step of trying to protect low-income residents from being forced out of their higher-elevation neighborhoods by wealthier people fleeing their coastal properties.

National climate report details costs, could boost climate liability claims

The cost of climate change has already reached into the billions of dollars and the tab will continue rising along with global temperature and sea levels, according to the Fourth National Climate Assessment released last Friday.

The Current Storm: The Realities of Climate Change for Cacao Producers

On Thursday October 11th, a group of activists, teachers, friends and allies gathered in the Equal Exchange cafe for a discussion on chocolate and climate change hosted by the Equal Exchange Organizing department.

Canada faces latest youth-led climate lawsuit

Canada is likely to be the next national government to face a climate lawsuit launched by young people. ENvironnement JEUnesse (ENJEU), a Quebec-based environmental education group, on Monday that it had applied for authorization for the class action suit.

Tiny Pacific island could file first national climate liability suit

Officials in the South Pacific island of Vanuatu said they are considering suing fossil fuel companies and nations that support the industry for their role in climate change, which presents an existential threat to low-lying nations. If Vanuatu does sue, it would be the first climate liability lawsuit by a national government.

Commercial fishermen sue fossil fuel industry for climate impacts

A group of commercial fishermen are joining the legal fight against the fossil fuel industry for its role in climate change. A new lawsuit by the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations ( ), the West Coast's largest commercial fishing association, was filed on Wednesday in California state court.

As wildfires rage, California faces the next reckoning: Costs

As major wildfires once again rage across California, fueled by extended drought and a warming climate, the immediate danger to life and property are almost certain to be followed by financial crises facing homeowners, insurers and even the state's utilities as the costs skyrocket.

Why a Supreme Court ruling on lead paint could impact climate cases

On the surface, a liability verdict involving lead paint poisoning might not seem like it has much to do with climate change, but a recent Supreme Court decision has legal experts drawing some important parallels. When the California Supreme Court refused to take up the companies' appeal , in February, the companies appealed to the U.S.

Koch Industries Lobbies Against Electric Vehicle Tax Credit

Koch Industries is calling for the elimination of tax credits for electric vehicles (EVs), all while claiming that it does not oppose plug-in cars and inviting the elimination of oil and gas subsidies that the petroleum conglomerate and its industry peers receive.

Judge agrees to divest from Exxon before New York's climate fraud case

A New York judge agreed to sell his stock in ExxonMobil to resolve a potential conflict of interest flagged by the New York attorney general's office after it filed its lawsuit alleging the oil giant misled investors over climate change risk.

Big Oil wins big on election day, from Washington carbon fee to Colorado fracking

The fossil fuel industry succeeded on several fronts in Tuesday's midterm elections: working to defeat two major ballot measures it opposed in Washington and Colorado and keeping a Republican majority in the U.S. Senate, which controls judicial appointments that will be steering the climate liability suits the industry is facing.

Alaska judge dismisses youth climate suit vs. state government

A judge in Alaska has dismissed a youth-led climate change case against the state's government. The lawsuit alleged that the state's pro-fossil fuel energy policy exacerbates climate change and violates the young plaintiffs' constitutional rights.

German government faces lawsuit over its failure to meet climate goals

Three families in Germany are suing their government hoping to compel it to cut carbon emissions as it has promised, joining a growing trend of citizens worldwide taking legal action against national governments over insufficient climate policies. Greenpeace Germany filed the lawsuit last week on the families' behalf.

French communities demand climate action by oil giant Total

The French cities and organizations challenging Total say that its vigilance plan is inadequate and does not meet the legal requirements. In the letter, they write that Total's plan "does not reflect the reality of the impacts of your activities and the risks of serious damage to the climate system that they induce."

Trump administration again asks Supreme Court to stop kids climate case

The federal government is asking the Supreme Court once again to intervene and halt proceedings in the youth climate change lawsuit Juliana v. United States . The landmark case is set to go to trial at the federal district court in Eugene, Ore., in less than two weeks.

Canadian group pushes politicians to campaign on climate accountability

With voters in British Columbia set to head to the polls for local general elections on October 20, a legal advocacy group is striving to ensure that climate liability is on the radar of candidates running for office.

Gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez pledges to stop expansion of gas pipelines, urges investment...

Boston - The Democratic candidate challenging Gov. Charlie Baker for the top seat in Massachusetts government expressed a firm commitment to addressing the climate crisis and accelerating clean energy development during an environmental town hall event Monday night (Oct. 1).

Courts will play key role in addressing climate crisis, experts say

NEW YORK-A worldwide movement seeking relief and accountability for the impacts of human-driven climate change through the courts has taken flight over the past year, and while none of the experts who spoke about the issue on on two panels in New York City said it would solve the climate crisis on ...

Will Florence's Costs Be a Climate Change Wake-Up Call in the Carolinas?

As North and South Carolina begin a long recovery process after Hurricane Florence, the lingering question is whether the storm will result in a reevaluation of coastal living.

California climate assessment tallies huge costs facing its communities

When California released its Fourth Climate Change Assessment last week, it contained an alarming, comprehensive list of impacts the state will absorb, including rising temperatures, more severe drought and wildfires, declining snowpack, more heavy precipitation, rising sea levels and perhaps most alarming: up to two-thirds of Southern California beaches are at risk of complete erosion by 2100 without large-scale human intervention.

Hawaii begins to tally costs, contemplate a future of extreme rainfall

As Hawaii begins to clean up and assess the damage from Hurricane Lane, which dumped more than 40 inches of rain on the islands to become one of the wettest storms in U.S. history , the state is wrestling with what may be its new, wetter reality.

A Koch-Fueled Attack on Electric Buses Picks up Speed

Electric buses are replacing existing diesel-fueled fleets at an accelerating rate, and the transition to battery-powered buses is outpacing even the most optimistic projections. In this light, it should come as little surprise that commentators and organizations with ties to the Koch network and

Climate case gets green light from European Union court

A lawsuit dubbed the People's Climate Case, which challenges the European Union's 2030 emissions reduction target and other climate policies, was given the green light by a court on Monday and is moving forward. The European General Court accepted the case brought by 10 families from Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Kenya and Fiji and a youth association in Sweden.

Costs of extreme heat are huge, but hard to quantify

Understanding those costs, however, is crucial for cities and states trying to protect their residents from climate impacts. They are working to calculate the toll of extreme heat, from decreasing outdoor worker productivity, to crop failures, cancelled flights and students' decreasing ability to learn.

Despite two dismissals, climate liability lawsuits only just getting started

When two federal judges dismissed climate liability lawsuits by San Francisco, Oakland and New York City, it wasn't the end of the road for those suits or others of their kind. But it did highlight the importance to the cities of having these kinds of cases tried in state court.

Supreme Court refuses to halt kids climate case

The Supreme Court the federal government's request to halt discovery and the trial in the youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States . The court's rejection on Monday of the defendants' application for a stay means the case will likely proceed to trial as scheduled in U.S.

New York City climate suit dismissed by federal judge

A federal judge ruled in favor of five major oil companies on Thursday, dismissing New York City's climate liability lawsuit against them. U.S. District Judge John Keenan's ruling marks the second major victory for the fossil fuel companies fighting these climate suits in federal court.

Federal judge to rule on latest government challenge to youth climate suit

A federal judge heard arguments on Wednesday from Department of Justice attorneys on their latest motions to sidetrack the youth-led climate change lawsuit Juliana v. United States . U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken listened to oral arguments and said she would rule promptly on two motions to dismiss considered at the hearing.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to halt kids climate case

The federal government has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the landmark youth climate lawsuit Juliana v. United States that is scheduled for trial in October. The Department of Justice filed an application Tuesday seeking to halt discovery and trial, including an administrative stay on proceedings.

Coastal cities race to keep tabs on rising seas, skyrocketing costs

Major coastal cities-from New York and Boston to San Francisco and smaller communities like Imperial Beach, Calif.-are already preparing for a potentially perilous future because of sea level rise.

Kennedy retirement: Bad for the environment, potential boost for climate liability?

While the immediate reaction to the retirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy among environmental activists this week fell somewhere between panic and alarm , the implications of what is certain to be a more conservative Supreme Court on the climate liability movement fall into a grayer area.

After dismissal of San Francisco, Oakland climate suits, what lies ahead?

A federal judge's decision Monday to dismiss the climate liability lawsuits brought by San Francisco and Oakland against five of the world's largest oil companies raised as many questions as it answered. U.S.

Federal judge dismisses San Francisco, Oakland climate suits

A federal judge in California has dismissed the San Francisco and Oakland climate liability lawsuits against five major oil companies, dealing the first major blow to the wave of climate suits that have been filed by communities across the country over the past year. U.S.

Mayors Of Cities Under Climate Change Threats Are Stepping Up To Take Action

From raging wildfires in California, to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, and historic flooding and winter storms in Boston, cities across the U.S. are on the frontlines of climate change impacts. But they are also at the forefront of climate solutions.

In latest climate suit, families demand tougher EU climate action

A new lawsuit is challenging the European Union's climate policies, including the EU's 2030 emissions reduction target, and demanding more ambitious climate action to protect human rights. The case was filed on May 24 in European General Court in Luxembourg. Defendants are the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.

Denier-led website targets climate suits, calls them a 'modern witch hunt'

The latest effort to push back against the growing wave of climate liability lawsuits was launched earlier this month by several attorneys aligned with the climate-denial movement. Their project, Climate Litigation Watch , promises transparency and an "objective record of litigation related to climate change."

Battle lines drawn for hearing on New York climate lawsuit vs. Big Oil

Oil companies, already busy fending off lawsuits from several California communities, have filed opposition to a similar suit from New York City. Chevron, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil filed a memorandum of law last week, arguing to dismiss New York's climate liability lawsuit.

King County, Washington files latest suit against Big Oil for climate impacts

King County, Wash., which encompasses the metropolitan area of Seattle, filed a against five major oil companies on Wednesday, joining a growing list of cities and counties seeking to hold the fossil fuel industry accountable for the impacts of climate change.

State defends youth climate lawsuit: 'Alaska is not causing climate change.'

In defending Alaska against charges by a group of youth plaintiffs that the state is violating their Constitutional right to a safe climate, the state's assistant attorney general declared on Monday, "Alaska is not destroying the environment. Alaska is not causing climate change."

Colorado communities file climate lawsuits vs. two oil companies

Several Colorado communities have now joined the growing wave of municipalities taking legal action against fossil fuel companies and seeking compensation for the impacts of climate change. The city and county of Boulder and the county of San Miguel on Tuesday announced a new lawsuit against ExxonMobil and Suncor , two of the largest oil companies with active operations in Colorado.

Climate scientist calls on students to speak out for sake of the planet and their future

Renowned climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann visited the Berkshires on Friday and spoke to audiences in Pittsfield and Dalton on the political "war on science" and why he remains optimistic despite the influence of special interests polluting the public discourse.

Sea level rise poses huge threat to California, heightening urgency of liability cases

As fossil fuel companies try to fend off climate liability lawsuits from coastal California communities, a recent study revealed some alarming flood projections for the San Francisco Bay Area, bolstering the communities' argument that rising seas pose imminent harm. The looked at land subsidence, or land that is sinking, which exacerbates flooding risk as sea levels rise.

SEC gives Exxon a pass on shareholder climate proposal, but not Chevron

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently responded to shareholder resolutions sent to Chevron and ExxonMobil requesting the oil companies disclose how they plan to align their business models with a low-carbon economy. While the SEC said Exxon could dismiss the proposal, it came to a different conclusion for Chevron, saying Chevron must submit it for consideration at its upcoming shareholder meeting.

Three California climate suits sent back to state court

By Dana Drugmand A federal judge sent a set of California climate liability lawsuits back to state court on Friday. The decision, by U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria, conflicts with Judge William Alsup's order in late February denying remand for similar lawsuits brought by Oakland and San Francisco.

Fracking causes extensive environmental, health, safety harms, new study warns

Dana Drugmand In December, acclaimed biologist and anti-fracking activist Sandra Steingraber visited the Berkshires and spoke about the health and climate impacts of fracked gas and pipelines. Now, Steingraber and other health professionals have issued a stark warning that unconventional oil and gas drilling is causing serious health and safety hazards.

Landmark kids climate case will head toward trial, judges rule

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration's attempt to sidetrack the Juliana v. United States youth climate case on Wednesday, denying the government's writ of mandamus request and allowing the landmark lawsuit to proceed toward trial .

Citizens sue to hold UK government accountable for climate goals

Joining a growing global trend to demand governments protect their citizens from climate catastrophe, a group in the United Kingdom has sued the government for failing to take ambitious action on climate change. A group of 11 plaintiffs ranging in age from 9 to 79 filed a lawsuit in the UK's High Court in December supported by the nonprofit Plan B.

Berkshire summit plots transition to 100 percent renewable energy

Pittsfield - State and local officials, business leaders and environmental advocates gathered at Berkshire Community College on Monday to discuss steps to transition to 100 percent renewable energy. The Berkshires 100 Percent Renewable Energy Summit is part of a collaborative statewide conversation focusing on achieving a swift, just and complete transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

San Francisco, Oakland climate cases to stay in federal court, judge rules

In the first of two expected decisions on whether to send the California climate liability lawsuits back to state court, a federal district judge sided with the fossil fuel defendants in keeping the San Francisco and Oakland cases in federal court.

In California climate cases, jurisdictional battle takes center stage

California counties and cities suing the fossil fuel industry for climate damage are fighting back against the industry's attempts to move their cases from state to federal court, a jurisdictional tug-of-war likely crucial to the cases' success. In two separate hearings in mid-February, two U.S.

Tax windfall for oil industry adds insult to Puerto Rico's many injuries

When the House and Senate finally agreed to a longer-term spending package last week, it approved nearly $90 billion in disaster relief to the parts of the country devastated by hurricanes and wildfires last year, ending a months-long struggle to help communities recover.

As San Francisco, Oakland press climate cases, they pay homage to tiny Kivalina

When a remote native Alaskan village could find no other relief from damaging coastal storms and erosion that continuously swallowed its land, it filed a nuisance lawsuit against major energy producers and carbon emitters in federal court. That 2008 suit, Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil et al.

Chevron wants more companies blamed in climate liability cases

Chevron Corp., one of the defendants in a batch of climate change nuisance lawsuits by communities in California, contends that the suits are meritless, but just in case the company is deemed liable for carbon pollution, the Norwegian state-owned oil company Statoil to shoulder some of the liability burden.

Climate liability cases 'as American as apple pie,' experts argue

From severe droughts and recent mega-wildfires to melting snowpack and coastal flooding, climate change impacts are already devastating the state of California. Now, the Golden State is at the forefront of new climate liability lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry-litigation that has begun to change the conversation about how climate change should be addressed.

Richmond becomes latest California city to file climate lawsuit vs. Big Oil

Richmond, Calif., became the latest community on Monday to file suit against 29 fossil fuel companies , seeking monetary damages to pay for costs of adapting to climate change.

Exxon launches legal retaliation against California climate suits

ExxonMobil is pushing back against a wave of climate liability lawsuits in California seeking to hold fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change impacts. In a filed Monday in a Texas district court, the company claims the suits amount to a conspiracy aimed to undermine the company's First Amendment rights and coerce it into shifting its stance on climate change.

Hawaii joins trend: recognizes constitutional right to safe climate and environment

Hawaii's highest court took an important step in December to hold the state's agencies accountable for transitioning away from fossil fuels as it affirmed the state's constitutional right to a clean environment. The ruling cheered environmental activists at the end of an otherwise stressful year.

California climate lawsuits: different strategies, same goal

When the counties of Marin and San Mateo, along with the City of Imperial Beach, filed lawsuits against more than three dozen fossil fuel companies over the impacts of climate change, they jumped to the forefront of a movement to turn to the courts for climate relief.

Through HeatSmart Great Barrington offering affordable green energy home heating options

Great Barrington - As winter and its freezing temperatures set in, town residents have a unique opportunity to engage in a home heating program that is both cheaper and greener.\ Great Barrington is one of four community grantees statewide selected to participate in the first round of HeatSmart Mass - a community-based education and group purchasing program for clean heating and cooling technologies.

Trade group gears up to discredit climate liability movement

In response to a growing wave of climate change lawsuits and legal investigations attempting to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable for climate consequences and decades of deception, a large industry trade group is now fervently pushing back with an "accountability" initiative of its own.

Judges question Trump administration attempt to derail youth climate case

In deciding whether the landmark youth-led climate change lawsuit Juliana v. United States is allowed to proceed to trial, two of the three appeals court judges that heard a government appeal on Monday strongly suggested throwing the case out at this step would open a judicial can of worms.

PCBs, fracked gas pipelines endanger human and planetary health, warns author activist

Lenox - The slow struggle to remove PCBs from the Housatonic River is an ongoing saga that started decades ago, while the fight against fracked gas pipelines in Western Massachusetts is a much fresher continuous crusade. But the PCB problem and the pipeline problem are interconnected.

Ecologist Sandra Steingraber to speak on fracked gas, PCBs, and our health Saturday in Lenox

Lenox -- Acclaimed author, biologist, cancer survivor, and environmental activist Sandra Steingraber is slated to speak on environmental toxins and human health this Saturday, December 2 starting at 5 p.m. at Lenox Memorial High School. Dr. Steingraber's talk will specifically address local environmental concerns surrounding fracked gas, PCB contamination, and how these impact our health.

Class action lawsuit acuses utilities Eversource, Avangrid of bilking customers out of $3.6 billion

Eversource Boston - A new lawsuit brought on behalf of all electric ratepayers in New England targets two of the largest investor owned utilities (IOUs) in the region for allegedly manipulating wholesale energy markets, resulting in inflated natural gas and electricity costs and higher bills for consumers. Eversource Energy and Avangrid Inc.

Evidence strong enough to sue fossil fuel companies for climate impacts, study says

By Dana Drugmand Research has boosted the concepts of climate liability and corporate accountability in recent years from pie-in-the-sky theories to plausible underpinnings for litigation. Now, a synthesizing this research concludes there is solid evidentiary basis for holding fossil fuel companies accountable for climate change.

Water protector Winona LaDuke speaks on 'cannibal economics,' courage and fighting pipelines

Dana Drugmand Great Barrington - Take a stand for the land, and be a water protector. That was the main message that Winona LaDuke and other guest speakers conveyed during the 37th annual E.F. Schumacher Lectures held at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Saturday, November 4.

How will Puerto Rico, devastated and drowning in debt, pay to rebuild?

One month after Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico-the worst storm to hit the island in more than 80 years-human suffering continues amid a deepening debt crisis. With hurricane recovery costs alone estimated to reach as high as $95 billion , with an estimated 80 percent of the island still without power and 30 percent without clean water, the question of where that money comes from remains unanswered.

Pipeline protesters to paddle Spectacle Pond in 'flotilla action' to resist fossil fuels

Ben Hillman Sandisfield - Concerned citizens and activists will gather at Lower Spectacle Pond tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 16) in an act of protest against the Connecticut Expansion pipeline project - a nearly four-mile expansion of existing gas lines that runs directly through Otis State Forest.

REVIEW: Al Gore returns with 'An Inconvenient Sequel,' seeking solutions to climate meltdown

Williamstown - Speak truth to power. That's the message conveyed by the latest climate change documentary An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. As the title implies, the film is a follow-up to the award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006). That's right, former vice president Al Gore is back at it, relentlessly raising awareness of the existential crisis that is global warming.

State Clean Energy Funds: A Driving Force in Renewables Deployment for Over a Decade

A Driving Force in Renewables Deployment for Over a Decade Long before the current emphasis on sub-national leadership in advancing clean energy, some states had created funds dedicated to supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy development. In 2002, a new national nonprofit organization emerged to coordinate and assist these clean energy funds.

Advancing Clean Energy: 15 Years of State Leadership

As the federal government has retreated from aggressive support for renewable energy, the states are increasingly seen as the locus for innovation and action. New regional and national coalitions of states have emerged to coordinate some of the states' efforts.

Ratepayers shocked by proposed 27 percent electric rate hike

Dana Drugmand Pittsfield - Elected officials, business representatives, facilities directors, working-class advocates and environmentalists were among the range of people speaking out Tuesday night (August 1) against a proposed electric rate hike requested by Eversource Energy.

Tax Reform and Climate Action:

Starting the Conversation By Dana Drugmand On yet another record-breaking warm day in April, a group of Vermonters gathered on the lawn in front of Capstone Community Action in Barre, many holding signs that read "Tax Reform and Climate Action.

Judge Won't Dismiss Youth Climate Lawsuit; Stage Set for Historic Trial

As global temperature continues to rise -- with 2016 slated to set a new high for the third consecutive year -- young climate activists are rising to the occasion and breaking new legal ground. Finally, a landmark youth-led climate change lawsuit may move forward to trial.

EmPOWERing Communities: Renewable Energy Co-ops Drive Local Investment And Ownership | The Leap

Citizens are increasingly standing up and fighting back against dirty energy projects across the country, from the Gateway Pacific coal terminal in western Washington to the Northeast Energy Direct gas pipeline in New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. But some are taking it a step further by engaging in clean energy development at the local, grassroots level.

Cap on solar energy stymies Berkshire clean energy projects

Dana Drugmand PITTSFIELD - Solar industry supporters, local officials and environmental advocates are calling on Massachusetts' legislators to act immediately to raise the caps on the state's solar net metering program. "There's a cap on the total amount of solar power eligible for net metering, and in March the cap was hit for towns served by National Grid, including many towns in the Berkshires.

Aspen Poised to Move to 100 Percent Renewable Electricity

Cities around the country are turning to wind, solar, and hydropower to meet energy needs When it comes to going green, the real action appears to be happening in cities. Georgetown, Texas, recently announced plans to source 100 percent of its electricity from renewable wind and solar power within two years.

Fossil fuel divestment movement attempts to gain steam - at Harvard, Williams

CAMBRIDGE - As the planet continues to warm, activists pushing for fossil fuel divestment are turning up the heat. College students have been organizing sit-ins and occupying their universities' administrative buildings demanding justice and a reconsideration from university officials to answer the call to divest.

'Pipeline Pilgrimage' called attention to climate crisis

DALTON - Kinder Morgan's proposed Northeast Energy Direct (NED) gas pipeline has garnered widespread opposition locally and across the region. In response a group of young faith leaders and concerned citizens mobilized an effort to raise awareness about the impacts of climate change and the need to refocus our attention away from destructive fossil fuel expansion and towards a more sustainable, cleaner energy future.

Cape Wind proponents rally for renewable energy future

Dana Drugmand BOSTON - Hundreds turned out on the Boston Commons on the last day of February to rally support for Cape Wind and call on utility companies to reinstate their contracts to purchase clean power and jumpstart the offshore wind industry in the U.S.

Massachusetts activists call for end to fossil fuel investments

Editor's Note: Last week, the Great Barrington Selectboard began consideration of a measure that would divest the town's pension fund of its holdings in fossil fuel companies. Across Massachusetts there is a growing movement for just such a divestment.

Kinder Morgan ramps up pipeline PR pitch

PITTSFIELD - Kinder Morgan, the Texas-based multibillion dollar company seeking to build a high-pressure fracked gas pipeline through western Massachusetts, held a community open house last Tuesday night, February 10, at Berkshire Community College. Representatives from Tennessee Gas, a subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, were on hand to answer questions about the Northeast Energy Direct pipeline.

Clean energy advocates unifying opposition to $5 billion pipeline

Pittsfield - As opposition to Kinder Morgan's $5 billion dollar Northeast Energy Direct gas pipeline project continues to mount regionally, a group of local activists is pushing to unite communities across Berkshire County to stand against fossil fuel infrastructure expansion and to promote a clean energy future. On Saturday, Jan.

State energy study seems to support gas pipeline, minimizes sustainable energy resources

Boston - A long-awaited study examining the necessity for new natural gas pipeline infrastructure in Massachusetts - and intended to help settle the controversy surrounding Kinder Morgan's Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline - has now been released.

State delays release of controversial review of future state energy needs

Dana Drugmand Boston - The release of the highly anticipated, state-commissioned energy study that will serve as a blueprint for determining the need for additional natural gas infrastructure, such as the $5 billion high-pressure Northeast Direct (NED) pipeline proposed by Kinder Morgan, has been unexpectedly postponed. Slated for release on Dec.

New route; same Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline

Washington, Mass. - This past Monday (December 8) Kinder Morgan, the firm behind the proposed multi-billion dollar Northeast Energy Direct natural gas line, updated its pre-filing application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee to reflect a new preferred route alongside existing power lines in western Massachusetts.

The path of pipeline resistance: Activists convene in Fitchburg

Dana Drugmand Fitchburg - Battle lines are being drawn as grassroots community opposition to the Northeast Energy Direct (NED) pipeline expansion proposed by Kinder Morgan's Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. continues to grow.

Matt Damon, Harrison Ford Lead All-Star Cast in Showtime Climate Change Series

Since climate change is the single biggest issue facing humanity, it deserves serious attention. If we're to preserve the planet we call home, it's time to go big. That's the thinking behind Years of Living Dangerously, a nine-part documentary series that uses blockbuster Hollywood storytelling techniques to hammer home the climate change message.

The Real Inconvenient Truth: Capitalism clashes with climate action

Dana Drugmand Cambridge, Mass. - Last month's historic People's Climate mobilization signaled to world leaders that citizens all over the globe were demanding urgent and bold action to address the unfolding threat of climate change. But will our leaders respond to the people's plea?

Stanford's Coal Divestment: Meet 2 Students-And 1 President-Who Made It Happen

Stanford University student Erica Knox went to see Bill McKibben's "Do the Math" tour in November 2012. That's when McKibben and 350.org launched a divestment movement to address climate change and challenge the power of the fossil fuel industry. Knox has been involved with divestment group Fossil Free Stanford ever since.

Beyond the CSA: Four Ways Communities Support Everything From Books to Beer

Since the first community supported agriculture program was established in western Massachusetts in the 1980s, the concept of buying food directly from local farms has taken off. There are now thousands of CSAs across the country.

Canadian Govt Approves Pipeline Through British Columbia-But Landmark Court Ruling May Stop It

On June 17, the Canadian federal government announced its approval of a controversial pipeline project that would transport crude oil extracted from tar sands in Alberta to Kitimat, a port on the British Columbia coast.

EPA briefs citizens on Housatonic River plan process

HRI embraces alternative method for Housatonic cleanup

New cancer center at Hillcrest built to be green

Fairgrounds owners look to the future

State divestment bill gains momentum

From coal to Cape Wind: Climate activists to walk 60 miles over six days

Greening the music business

Solarize programs soar in Lee, Williamstown

Local hearings held on hazardous waste regulations

Renewable energy legislation gains momentum

Sediment flow from Windsor Reservoir raises concern

Not your typical wind turbine

Brodie Mountain wind power production figures explained

Fleeing from fracking

Caligari's completes solar installation

Jill Stein, Rep. Neal weigh in on Keystone debate

Lenox community workshop addresses sustainable energy options

National climate change rally attendees include locals

Riding the winds of change

Green drinks comes to Lenox

Green breweries in western Massachusetts

Documentary provides up-close look at climate change

Climate change impacting winter tourism

Climate change campaign kicks into high gear

A Right-Wing Think Tank Is Behind the Controversial Great Barrington Declaration Calling for...

An open letter that emerged earlier this month opposing COVID-19 shutdowns and calling for a "herd immunity" approach to addressing the coronavirus - which already has claimed over 220,000 American lives - is one of the latest examples of how right-wing ideology and think tanks that have long cultivated climate science denial are now engaging in [...]

Captured Courts: Senate Dems Call Out GOP For Assault On Judiciary

Under the cover of dark money from big donors and special interest influence, Republicans have stealthily extended their ideological agenda into what is supposed to be an independent federal judiciary, according to a new report released today from Senate Democrats.

Progressive movements conference calls for unity to confront contemporary crises

Boston - "We have been drawn together by a sense that there is danger in the air," Rev. Karlene Griffiths Sekou remarked in the opening of her afternoon keynote address Saturday, November 17. She addressed an audience of more than 100 gathered at Simmons University for a progressive organizing event titled "The Next Two Years and Beyond: A Movement Building Conference."

Courts Will Hear Groundbreaking Climate Cases in 2023

Courts are becoming a critically important arena for addressing issues of justice and accountability pertaining to the climate emergency. Increasingly citizens and communities are turning to the courts in efforts to hold governments and corporations accountable for their roles in the escalating planetary crisis.

Court cases will expose Big Oil's hypocrisy on climate change

In court, oil majors say climate action is a matter for governments; outside it, they lobby against climate policies. They can't have it both ways By Dana Drugmand So far eleven cities and counties across the US have filed lawsuits against the fossil fuel industry seeking compensation for climate impacts.

Time to Hold Petroleum Perpetrators Accountable for Climate Damage

"We'll see you in court." That's the message New York City recently sent to the industry recklessly destabilizing Earth's climate. In announcing a new lawsuit against five of the largest corporate oil companies, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "It's time for Big Oil to take responsibility for the devastation they have wrought."

Young People Are Leading the Charge on Guns, Climate Change

Charlottesville, Oppression, and the Imperative of System Change

We are living in deeply troubling times. Our democracy is eroding, wealth and income inequality has skyrocketed, and tragedy and violence seemingly erupt daily around the world. The recent events in Charlottesville, VA are just the latest reminder of the disturbing place we find ourselves in.

5 Ways States Are Accelerating Renewable Energy - The Energy Collective

Many of the initiatives to move our energy system towards clean, renewable power emanate from the state and local levels. A few cities have already reached the 100 percent clean energy mark, with many more committing to eventually meet that standard. State policies and programs, meanwhile, have been instrumental in furthering the renewable energy revolution.

Advancing Clean Energy at the State Level - An Imperative

In the wake of President Trump's recent decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement, one thing seems abundantly clear, and that is that the role of states in advancing clean energy becomes even more important. Now more than ever, policies and programs to promote sustainable energy resources will come from the state level.

Five Reasons to Remain Hopeful Following Trump's Decision to Ditch the Paris Agreement

President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Accord is decisively a mistake, but it is should not be characterized as the end of the world or as an indication that climate action in the US is dead.

Dana Drugmand: Placing a price on carbon pollution - VTDigger

Commentary Editor's note: This commentary is by Dana Drugmand, of South Royalton, who recently completed an internship with the Vermont Natural Resources Council in the Energy and Climate Action program. She will graduate this month from Vermont Law School with a master's degree in environmental law and policy.

With carbon tax Massachusetts could curb fossil fuel dependency

Tomorrow, on April 29, tens of thousands of people will gather in cities across the country in the latest installment of the People's Climate March. We will be marching in protest of the Trump administration's antagonistic climate agenda and also in support of grassroots sustainability work grounded in principles of economic, environmental and social justice.

Green Jobs and Intergenerational Justice: Trump's Climate Order Undermines Both

With the stroke of a pen, President Trump has written off both the biggest economic development opportunity of the twenty-first century, and the security of today's young people, future generations and the other species inhabiting this planet. Or so it seems.

Dana Drugmand: Clean energy economy more important than ever - VTDigger

Commentary Editor's note: This commentary is by Dana Drugmand, a graduate student at Vermont Law School pursing a master's degree in environmental law and policy. She is currently interning with the Vermont Natural Resources Council in the Energy and Climate Action program.

A New Strategy to Address Climate Change: Suing for Community Rights

" No Short-Term Fix for California Methane Leak"; " How Tap Water Became Toxic in Flint, Michigan"; " Seas Are Rising at Fastest Rate in Last 28 Centuries." If these recent headlines are any indication, environmental woes are mounting despite decades of attempts to reverse ecological devastation.

The Fight of Our Lives: Millennials Must Lead Call for Climate Justice

As I write this, Pacific Islanders in Vanuatu are left picking up the pieces after the worst natural disaster in recent memory ripped through the region. Vanuatu's president referred to Cyclone Pam as a "monster," a storm that singlehandedly leveled the capital city leaving at least sixteen confirmed dead and countless others displaced.

Alternatives to the Garbage Pail

Seed capital at work

Las Vegas helping build sustainable food system

Eating local is no stretch - Great food is close at hand

Tennessee must get back to its veggie roots