Staff Reports
Multnomah County, home to a significant portion of Portland in Oregon, has gone off the rails by filing a $101.5 billion lawsuit against more than a dozen fossil fuel companies and industry associations. The fossil fuel companies include oil and gas giants like Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, and others, over their alleged role in the 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave. Laughable.
Do you believe in “Global Warming”?
YES or NO?https://t.co/RtI48BuZ31
— Proud Elephant 🇺🇸🦅 (@ProudElephantUS) June 23, 2023
This is just another example of liberal activists trying to sue their way to political power. The lawsuit, brought forward by three law firms specializing in catastrophic harm litigation against the energy companies, seeks to profit off the backs of hardworking Americans by demanding $50 million in actual damages along with a staggering $50 billion for an abatement fund to “weatherproof” the county against extreme heat. Seriously, $50 billion for a minor heatwave?
The county also alleges that the cumulative carbon pollution from the use of the defendants’ fossil fuel products was a substantial factor in causing and exacerbating the heatwave event. Who are they trying to fool with this? Climate is natural and cyclical, and there is a documented history of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, occurring throughout the centuries. The fossil fuel industry has nothing to do with this.
In response, the fossil fuel companies have rightfully dismissed the claims made against them, with some calling them “baseless” and “counterproductive.” Exxon rightly argues that the lawsuit is a waste of time and resources that does nothing to address climate change. This lawsuit is nothing more than a sham and a political stunt to shift blame away from the government’s poor response to the extreme heatwave in Multnomah County.
This lawsuit is just part of the ongoing trend of state and local governments across the U.S. filing cases against fossil fuel companies. These cases use state laws against making misleading product safety claims as a basis for seeking settlements, just like the failed opioid and tobacco lawsuits of the past. These cases are nothing more than attempts to blame the fossil fuel industry for political gain and are a waste of taxpayer resources.
It is important to note that regardless of the outcome of this lawsuit, it will not impact climate change or expedite the transition to a low-carbon future. Fossil fuels play a crucial role in powering our economy and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The liberal agenda of demonizing the fossil fuel industry is nothing more than political theatre, and they need to stop hindering energy progress and focus on more innovative solutions.
