I wonder if they realize that this will raise their own energy prices? Or, is this a case of people who are not served by the utility suing despite having no standing?
In a First, a Gas Utility Is Sued Over Global Warming Deception
Oregon officials have added the state’s largest natural gas utility as a defendant in their $50 billion lawsuit against fossil fuel companies over their contribution to climate change.
The suit — the first to make climate-related deception claims against a utility, experts said — alleges that the company, NW Natural, knew that the burning of natural gas contributed to global warming, but misled its customers about the consequences. It is an expansion of a lawsuit that was first filed last year by Multnomah County, which includes Portland.
The complaint alleges that Exxon, Shell and other companies, now including NW Natural, had schemed to “rapaciously” sell fossil fuel products and cover up what they knew about the risks to the planet, and that the companies bear responsibility for the effects of climate change including a deadly heat wave in 2021 that killed at least 69 county residents.
Alyssa Johl, vice president of legal and general counsel at the nonprofit advocacy group the Center for Climate Integrity, said that gas utilities had been “significant players in the historic and ongoing deception campaigns to mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels.”
Even if the slight increase in global temperatures was mostly/solely caused by Mankind, there is no danger to the planet. Mankind has moved forward more during warm periods than cool periods. It’d be nice if we focused more on actual environmental issues rather than scams designed to increase the size and power of government while putting even more money in the coffers.
NW Natural said Wednesday that it had not received the complaint, though it was aware of reports that it had been added to the lawsuit. “We believe adding the company to the suit now is an attempt to divert attention from legal and factual flaws in the case. NW Natural will vigorously contest the County’s claims should they come to court,” the company said in a statement.
It’d be more fun if NW Natural simply stopped selling their products to the government of Oregon, along with the counties and cities that support the shakedown suit.
The original suit also named other companies and industry trade groups as defendants, including the consulting giant McKinsey & Company. In a statement, Exxon Mobil vigorously disputed the claims and said it was investing more than $20 billion in “lower-emission initiatives” through 2027.
“The baseless claims made in these politically motivated lawsuits do not advance any real solutions to address climate change,” Exxon Mobil said. “We’ll continue to fight these lawsuits and claims, and, more importantly, continue to be a leader in the energy transition.”
And therein lies the problem with these companies: they do not see the danger of this cult, when they should be saying “lawsuit, eh? Well, f*** you. We won’t be selling our products to you. Go pound sand and see how you are able to operate.”
Lol
You think capitalist companies would agree to stop stealing enormous profits just because a law suit triggered their feelings? Companies will just pass on the costs. Regardless of the increased costs fossil fuel companies will eSrn good profits, even as they move into renewables. Oregon gets less than 40% of it’s electricity from fossil fuels and that is dropping every year
lol
You’re so economically ignorant you confuse selling a product to consumers with stealing. What a maroon.
“significant players in the historic and ongoing deception campaigns to mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels.”
That would be the environmental wackos who are doing the misleading. “Climate change” is a scam to extract consumer and taxpayer money for wealthy elite groups trying to get their hands on natural resources that they don’t own. It’s a fight for control of the Earth’s resources. And they will genocide billions of people to do it, by withholding food, water, and energy. They want it all for themselves.
Amazingly dumb-if you’re worried about that kind of thing, the fact is that the increased use of LNG is one of the main reasons that the US has decreased its emissions. The cult-hmmm….so let’s sue them!
Communism is always about theft. Theft of the “means of production” from the builders and theft of profits from the investors. The state and its citizens have not been harmed by Gas or the gas company. This is just a grab for the profits, like they did to the electric company after their wild fires.