Fossil fuel companies have known about the threat of the climate crisis since the 1970s, when the industry predicted global warming with incredible accuracy, even if its corporate leaders didn’t share it publicly. Still, these corporations have spent billions to spread doubt and misinformation about the dangers of fossil fuels and elect climate deniers at all levels of government—robbing a generation’s worth of time to transition our economy to renewable energy and reverse the devastating impacts we’re currently experiencing.
Fossil fuel companies knew that their decisions were advancing the climate crisis, but they ignored the science and lied to the general public. We must hold the fossil fuel industry accountable.
Sign the petition: The fossil fuel industry broke the law with their lies. Hold them accountable!
Campaign Action
As we continue to grapple with the impacts of climate change, we are faced daily with the repercussions of the fossil fuel industry’s lies. The cost of climate and weather disasters in the United States last year totaled more than $165 billion, making it the third-most-costly year on record. Marginalized communities, which have made the fewest contributions to greenhouse gases, have faced the most devastating impacts to their health and livelihoods.
And yet, we still face opposition against actual science as the fossil fuel industry has continued to breed climate deniers.
Fossil fuel companies have fought against any climate action by curbing legislation that could have steered us further away from climate disaster, pouring millions and millions of dollars into Congress to promote their bottom line against the very existence of humanity and the planet.
And this climate-denying messaging continues to trickle down, aided by unreasonable (and likely well-funded) Republicans. The most recent example was seen in Florida classrooms, with Gov. Ron DeSantis once again setting the standard for complete buffoonery by approving that climate-denial videos be shown in schools.
Democratic senators are calling on Attorney General Merrick Garland to sue fossil fuel companies for misleading the public on climate change. There’s established precedent for this accountability: In the 1990s, the Department of Justice held major tobacco companies liable for violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
For over 50 years, the fossil fuel industry has used illegal methods to lie and distort public perception of a global crisis. It’s time for accountability—now!
Sign the petition to the Department of Justice: Hold the fossil fuel industry accountable. Sue the industry for violation of federal racketeering laws, truth in advertising laws, and consumer protection laws.