New York Supreme Court Justice Ostrager, who presided over the non-jury trial, is scheduled to hand down a verdict in the coming weeks in New York’s climate change lawsuit against Exxon Mobil. Regardless of who wins, there are states, municipalities and environmental groups suing or planning to sue Exxon and other energy companies for being the main perpetrators of a looming planetary catastrophe. Additionally, more than a dozen “public nuisance” lawsuits seek to hold energy companies responsible for billions of taxpayer dollars spent on acclimating to a warming world, or picking up the pieces following unprecedented hurricanes, floods, and wildfires. States and cities seeking redress in the courts say it is the only avenue open to them. The federal government under President Trump has spent the last three years trying to undo climate regulations put in place by President Obama, including taking the U.S. out of the landmark Paris climate agreement.
By Erik Larson. Bloomberg/LA Times. Nov. 15, 2019.
