Josh Pearce on Fossil Fuel’s Climate Liability

June 28, 2021

Josh Pearce teaches new solar energy engineers at Michigan Tech University.

Events like we are seeing this week lend credence to his argument here.

Posted by greenman3610
Filed in Crock of the Week

4 Comments »

4 Responses to “Josh Pearce on Fossil Fuel’s Climate Liability”

redskylite Says:

June 28, 2021 at 5:54 pm
Good points, it’s about time that companies learn they do not have carte blanche, and as pointed out by Oxford University researchers, prosecutors must make sure they are using the latest and best science in their pursuit of justice.

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Poor use of science jeopardizes climate lawsuits — Oxford research

Newly-available scientific evidence, which could prove critical to the success of climate-related lawsuits, is often not produced in court.

https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2021-06-28-poor-use-science-jeopardises-climate-lawsuits-finds-oxford-research

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Gingerbaker Says:

June 29, 2021 at 1:03 pm
He is mistaken.

Perhaps he is under the impression that the EPA forbade FF electrical plants to operate, but their parent companies did so anyway? Then, he might have a point.

Or perhaps he thinks the EPA forbade Exxon Mobil from selling gasoline, but they went ahead anyway? If they did, he might have a point.

But the fact is that the EPA, which has responsibility to regulate these industries, did no such thing. These industries were selling legal product in a legal manner, all under complete regulation from the EPA.

Do FF cause AGW? You bet they do. But that has nothing to do with criminal or civil liability. If any entity should pay damages, it should be the US government, which bloody well knew that they were not fulfilling their responsibilities to the public.

How about you there, Joe Q. Public? You knew that burning gasoline causes AGW, yet you turned your ignition key thousands of times anyway. Should you be held accountable monetarily for your “crime”? Why not?

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- rhymeswithgoalie Says:
  
  July 1, 2021 at 12:53 pm
  Criminal liability, no.
  Civil liability doesn’t care what the government says. Anybody can be sued for anything (though nut-job frivolous suits are thrown out with penalties). The utilities that have been running coal power plants at a loss paid for by the ratepayers might be first in line, though.
  
  Look at what happened to the cigarette companies.
  
  Reply
redskylite Says:

June 29, 2021 at 7:20 pm
Not all business owners have taken Business Ethics 101 but Ignorantia juris non excusat, and we have to leave it to impartial Judges and legal frameworks to decide guilt and responsibility.

The point is not to raise money, but to prevent increase on the damage we are doing to our carbon imbalance.

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In A Landmark Case, A Dutch Court Orders Shell To Cut Its Carbon Emissions Faster

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/26/1000475878/in-landmark-case-dutch-court-orders-shell-to-cut-its-carbon-emissions-faster

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