In a major win for Mother Earth and justice, Hawaii’s Supreme Court has given the green light for a groundbreaking climate deception lawsuit to head to trial. And guess who’s on the hot seat? Yep, it’s the oil bigwigs.
The whole legal showdown started back in 2020 when Honolulu called out major players like ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, and Sunoco. The city pointed fingers at these oil giants for promoting fossil fuels while being fully aware of their apocalyptic impact on our planet. But that’s not all. These companies were also accused of masterminding sneaky “public deception campaigns” to blur the lines between their harmful products and the global warming crisis. Sketchy, right?
But, Big Oil thought they could wiggle their way out of this one. They tried to argue that the lawsuit was just another attempt to control greenhouse gas emissions on a larger scale. However, Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald wasn’t having any of it. He highlighted that the lawsuit wasn’t about emissions regulations but rather a “sophisticated disinformation campaign” by Big Oil that caused harm right in Hawaii’s backyard.
And boy, are the local environmental champions in high spirits! Matthew Gonser from Honolulu’s Office of Climate Change made it clear that they’re geared up to take this battle to the trial court and uncover the truth. As Gonser rightfully said, “This is a good day for advancing our efforts to help Honolulu survive the costs and consequences of the climate crisis.”
Speaking of climate crises, let’s not forget the tragic wildfires that hit Lahaina on Maui a few months ago. 97 souls lost, and guess who’s to blame? Yep, our changing climate, made conditions ripe for such a rapid blaze. Now, Maui County, along with Honolulu and a slew of other U.S. cities and states, is suing Big Oil. The fight is heating up, my friends.
But here’s where it gets really spicy: While places like California are calling out the fossil fuel industry for jeopardizing our planet for some quick cash, these oil companies are literally swimming in money. Just this year, Exxon and Chevron saw profit increases, and BP? A whopping $3.29 billion in third-quarter profits.
Cassidy DiPaola from Fossil Free Media said it best: “Americans are paying the price for climate disasters while Big Oil CEOs are lining their pockets.” Our climate is in crisis mode, and while Big Oil basks in its growing profits, it’s jeopardizing a sustainable future for all of us. Enough is enough.
