I dare say 2018 will be the year of climate litigation . In Colorado , the city of Boulder , as well as San Miguel and Boulder counties , file a joint suit Tuesday against ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy . It ’s the first such litigation to come from a non - coastal res publica .
Why ? For the corporations ’ alleged role in “ make , contributing to and exacerbating climate change , ” per the 109 - pagecomplaintfiled in the Boulder County District Court . Their requests ? That these companies give up to assist extenuate the impacts of climate change on these regions . After all , some oil society ( likeShellandExxon ) knew about clime change since the ’ 70s , harmonize to this comprehensive timeline , and despite their knowledge worked tirelessly tobuild a climate denial campaignthat ’s really at the ascendant of the current state of climate denial in the U.S.
“ To raise their own profits , they hold back this knowledge and spread out doubt about science they fuck to be correct , ” enunciate Marco Simons , the Americas Regional Director for the environmental group EarthRights International , in a press release . “ Now , residential district all over this country are left to foot the account . ”
These Colorado hoods are n’t the first to litigate oil giants . Exxon , in particular , is dealing with some serious litigation on behalf of major city likeNew YorkandSan Francisco and Oaklandin California . Other major companies , like Chevron , BP , and Royal Dutch Shell , are also facing litigation . Companies are starting to get salty about the lawsuit , with Chevron even try tosue another oil companyin Norway , Statoil . Really , dude ?
What does make this Colorado lawsuit stand out , however , is that , well , this is n’t a coastal region . In places like New York City and San Francisco , lawsuits be given to highlight the impacts of ocean level rising . But that ’s just one manner the earth will experience climate change . Some California counties have takenlegal actionafter see firsthand what their wildfire seasons will front like in the futurity .
Wildfires , drouth , and even flooding are all shouted out in the complaint . So are the land ’s $ 41 billion agriculture and $ 5 billion ski industry , both of which are threatened by rising temperatures . And , of course , there ’s health : Climate changeaffectsair calibre and the spread of disease .
“ clime variety impacts are already happening , and they are only going to get worse , ” said Boulder County Commissioner Elise Jones , in a imperativeness release . “ Climate change is not just about sea level rise . It bear upon all of us in the midsection of the country as well . ”
mood changeColorado
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