New Jersey Joins Cohort of States Suing the Oil Industry for Climate Misinformation
(NewsReady.com) – Ten years ago, Hurricane Sandy slammed into New Jersey. The storm caused billions of dollars worth of damage. A decade later, the state has filed a lawsuit against the oil and gas industry for its alleged role in climate change.
On October 18, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced his office filed a lawsuit in Superior Court against Shell Oil Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, BP, ConocoPhillips, Chevron Corporation, and the American Petroleum Institute (API). The AG said the state wants to “hold the defendants accountable” for denying and concealing information about the impact of fossil fuel use on the climate.
Today we are suing some of the biggest oil and gas producers in the world for knowing that climate change is real, but lying about it for decades to the people of New Jersey. https://t.co/HBLvLnJUdv
— Attorney General Matt Platkin (@NewJerseyOAG) October 18, 2022
Platkin further alleges the consumption of fossil fuels has led to the sea level rising, extreme weather, and flooding. The API is accused of creating disinformation campaigns about what climate change is reportedly doing to the environment. The lawsuit alleges the companies knew about the dangers of global warming, but “instead of warning the public or the State about the danger,” they launched a PR campaign to make people doubt it was true and to stop changes from taking effect.
New Jersey is the latest state to file suit against the companies and API. Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Delaware have also sued for the same reasons.
What do you think about the lawsuits?
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