Dana Drugmand

Freelance Journalist

Dana is an environmental journalist covering topics such as climate accountability and climate change lawsuits, greenwashing and false climate solutions, plastics and petrochemicals, and environmental law and justice. Dana has five years of experience in legal reporting covering climate law and litigation, and in 2017 she completed a Master's degree in Environmental Law & Policy with a certificate in Climate Law from Vermont Law School. Her writing has appeared in The New Lede, Sierra, DeSmog, YES! Magazine, New Internationalist, Common Dreams, Truthout, and Earth Island Journal, among other outlets.

Portfolio

Environmental Clips

Sierra
11/18/2024
Who Is Lee Zeldin?

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

Climate in the Courts
11/12/2024
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

Climate in the Courts
11/07/2024
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

Climate in the Courts
10/17/2024
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

The New Lede
10/13/2024
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.

Climate in the Courts
10/03/2024
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

The New Lede
09/13/2024
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...

Climate in the Courts
09/12/2024
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

The New Lede
08/01/2024
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.

The New Lede
06/27/2024
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.

The New Lede
05/31/2024
"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.

The New Lede
04/02/2024
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.

The New Lede
03/26/2024
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.

The New Lede
03/20/2024
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.

The New Lede
01/08/2024
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.

The New Lede
01/05/2024
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."

The New Lede
12/11/2023
"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.

The New Lede
11/10/2023
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.

DeSmog
11/06/2023
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.

DeSmog
11/01/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
10/31/2023
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.

DeSmog
09/21/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
09/19/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
09/18/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
09/16/2023
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 [...]

The New Lede
09/12/2023
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.

DeSmog
08/23/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
08/18/2023
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 [...]

The New Lede
08/14/2023
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.

DeSmog
08/14/2023
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 [...]

The New Lede
07/28/2023
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.

DeSmog
07/26/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
07/03/2023
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.

DeSmog
06/27/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
06/22/2023
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.

The New Lede
06/22/2023
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.

DeSmog
06/20/2023
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 [...]

The New Lede
05/25/2023
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.

DeSmog
05/16/2023
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.

The New Lede
05/11/2023
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.

The New Lede
05/02/2023
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."

DeSmog
04/26/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
04/24/2023
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 [...]

The New Lede
04/18/2023
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.

DeSmog
04/13/2023
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.

DeSmog
04/10/2023
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.

Sierra
04/10/2023
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.

DeSmog
04/05/2023
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.

DeSmog
04/03/2023
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.

DeSmog
02/28/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
02/21/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
02/16/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
02/14/2023
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.

DeSmog
02/09/2023
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...

Sierra
01/28/2023
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.

DeSmog
01/18/2023
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.

DeSmog
01/13/2023
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 [...]

DeSmog
12/29/2022
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.

DeSmog
12/09/2022
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.

DeSmog
12/02/2022
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/22/2022
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/17/2022
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/04/2022
'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.

DeSmog
12/22/2020
'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 [...]

DeSmog
12/21/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
12/09/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
12/02/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/29/2020
'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 [...]

DeSmog
11/20/2020
'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 [...]

DeSmog
11/19/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/17/2020
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.

DeSmog
11/13/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
11/11/2020
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 [...]

DeSmog
10/30/2020
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.

DeSmog
10/28/2020
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.

Drilled News
10/13/2020
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.

Drilled News
10/03/2020
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.

DeSmog
09/25/2020
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

Drilled News
09/15/2020
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.

Drilled News
09/10/2020
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.

DeSmog
07/28/2020
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

DeSmog
07/07/2020
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.

DeSmog UK
07/01/2020
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

DeSmog
06/25/2020
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

DeSmog
06/24/2020
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

New Internationalist
06/16/2020
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.

DeSmog
05/27/2020
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

DeSmog
05/20/2020
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

DeSmog
05/01/2020
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

DeSmog
04/27/2020
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.

DeSmog
04/17/2020
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

DeSmog
04/02/2020
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

DeSmog
03/30/2020
$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

DeSmog
03/27/2020
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

DeSmog
03/19/2020
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,

DeSmog
03/09/2020
'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.

Drilled News
03/06/2020
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.

DeSmog
02/09/2020
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

Drilled News
02/07/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/29/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/27/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/21/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/15/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/09/2020
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.

DeSmog
01/09/2020
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.

Climate Liability News
01/06/2020
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.

DeSmog
12/27/2019
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

DeSmog
12/18/2019
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.

DeSmog
12/16/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
12/12/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
12/11/2019
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.

DeSmog
12/10/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
12/05/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
11/27/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
11/22/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
11/21/2019
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.

DeSmog
11/12/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
11/12/2019
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.

Climate Docket
11/06/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/31/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/26/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/24/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/23/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/10/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/10/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
10/07/2019
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.

DeSmog
10/03/2019
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

Climate Liability News
09/26/2019
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."

Climate Liability News
09/25/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
09/19/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
09/13/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
09/12/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
09/05/2019
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.

Yes! Magazine
09/01/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
08/28/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
08/23/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
08/19/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
07/31/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
07/25/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
07/16/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
07/12/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
07/08/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
06/24/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
06/20/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
06/17/2019
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 Liability News
06/07/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
05/13/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
05/07/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/24/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/19/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/18/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/09/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/03/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
04/02/2019
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 News
03/28/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
03/21/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
03/20/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
03/15/2019
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."

Climate Liability News
03/14/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
03/06/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
03/04/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
02/21/2019
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 ...

Climate Liability News
02/20/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
02/20/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
02/11/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
02/07/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
01/31/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
01/09/2019
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 Liability News
01/03/2019
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.

Climate Liability News
12/31/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
12/20/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
12/06/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/27/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/26/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/15/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/14/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/13/2018
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.

DeSmogBlog
11/09/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/07/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
11/01/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
10/28/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
10/25/2018
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."

Climate Liability News
10/18/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
09/27/2018
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 ...

Climate Liability News
09/04/2018
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.

DeSmogBlog
08/20/2018
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 Liability News
08/14/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
08/09/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
08/02/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
07/30/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
07/19/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
07/19/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
07/17/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
06/29/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
06/26/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
06/07/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
05/31/2018
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."

Climate Liability News
05/11/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
05/01/2018
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."

Climate Liability News
04/17/2018
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 Liability News
04/11/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
04/10/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
03/17/2018
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.

Theberkshireedge
03/16/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
03/07/2018
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 .

Climate Liability News
03/07/2018
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.

Theberkshireedge
03/06/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
02/27/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
02/15/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
02/08/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
02/03/2018
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 News
01/26/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
01/10/2018
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.

Climate Liability News
12/18/2017
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.

Theberkshireedge
12/16/2017
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.

Climate Liability News
12/15/2017
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.

Climate Liability News
12/11/2017
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.

Theberkshireedge
11/28/2017
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.

Climate Liability News
11/16/2017
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.

Climate Liability News
10/23/2017
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.

Theberkshireedge
09/04/2017
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.

Green Energy Times
08/23/2017
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.

Clean Energy States Alliance - Member News
08/15/2017
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.

Theberkshireedge
08/03/2017
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.

Green Energy Times
04/21/2017
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.

Truthout
11/17/2016
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.

The Leap
02/23/2016
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.

Theberkshireedge
07/22/2015
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.

Earth Island Journal
06/10/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
04/23/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
04/13/2015
'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.

Theberkshireedge
03/14/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
03/01/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
02/16/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
02/04/2015
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.

Theberkshireedge
12/31/2014
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.

Theberkshireedge
12/13/2014
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.

YES! Magazine
10/27/2014
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.

Theberkshireedge
10/21/2014
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?

YES! Magazine
09/18/2014
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.

Other Reporting

DeSmog
05/27/2020
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.

The Berkshire Edge
11/19/2018
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."

Published Op-eds

Common Dreams
12/20/2022
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.

Climate Home News
06/07/2018
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.

Common Dreams
03/05/2018
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."

Common Dreams
08/17/2017
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.

The Energy Collective
07/11/2017
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.

Renewableenergyworld
06/08/2017
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.

VTDigger
05/07/2017
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.

Theberkshireedge
04/28/2017
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.

VTDigger
02/09/2017
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.

Truthout
03/08/2016
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.

Truthout
03/23/2015
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.