explaining the recent Supreme Court decision to take up oil companies' petition in a climate lawsuit, ft. my massive lad Tumbleweed, happy Friday
06.03.2026 21:18
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explaining the recent Supreme Court decision to take up oil companies' petition in a climate lawsuit, ft. my massive lad Tumbleweed, happy Friday
Trump's war in Iran is cutting off oil & gas shipping routes and production. To meet contractual obligations, Exxon is shipping some 600,000 barrels of gasoline from its U.S. refineries to Australia. Lower supply + higher global oil prices = higher U.S. gas prices.
www.reuters.com/business/ene...
excellent panel @coveringclimatenow.org. especially think it's so important to keep reiterating that "fossil fuels fuel wars", as @ninalakhani.bsky.social put it, and they help despots consolidate and maintain power as @antoniajuhasz.bsky.social @billmckibben.bsky.social and others often point out
Watching it right now!
*have. @coveringclimatenow.org has more on the climate/Iran war connections here coveringclimatenow.org/from-us-stor...
Qatar has reportedly suspended the production of liquified natural gas. That means more reliance on U.S. LNG, including in Europe -- just as the U.S. oil industry was strategizing to dismantle European climate regs.
American oil cos has already used that growing reliance to their advantage
Corporate broadcast coverage of climate change fell 35% in the last year, even as Trump systemically dismantled climate policy and billion-dollar disasters rose
The gradual deprioritization led NBC climate reporter Chase Cain to hit a breaking point, and he quit last week
Here's our interview:
🚨A lawmaker in Louisiana just intro'd a bill that would shield oil companies from climate lawsuits.
Similar bills have moved forward in OK and UT. A member of Congress said she's drafting a bill.
API said this was a top priority.
www.eenews.net/articles/lou...
track.govhawk.com/public/bills...
👉27 Republican AGs pushed to delete the climate chapter in a scientific reference manual for judges.
👉16 Republican AGs urged the DOJ to “recommend legislation” to stop climate lawsuits.
What do these Attorneys General have in common? They're all members of RAGA, a group that's funded by Big Oil.
🚨A lawmaker in Louisiana just intro'd a bill that would shield oil companies from climate lawsuits.
Similar bills have moved forward in OK and UT. A member of Congress said she's drafting a bill.
API said this was a top priority.
www.eenews.net/articles/lou...
track.govhawk.com/public/bills...
I interviewed @antoniajuhasz.bsky.social after Trump attacked Venezuela about the role of fossil fuels and the companies that profit from them during war -- her insights are more relevant every day. Give her a read and a follow
Big Oil & Gas will always do its best to make sure that it benefits from war, but they're usually not quite so literal about it.
"VG & Cheniere Seek to Expand LNG Exports to Leverage War Pricing."
marcellusdrilling.com/2026/03/vg-c...
Scientists are speaking out on the erasure of a climate chapter from a judicial reference manual after it was opposed by a group of Republican attorneys general.
Reminder: the AGs were all members of RAGA, which is funded by the same oil companies facing climate lawsuits
SCOTUS has never taken up Big Oil's arguments to kill climate lawsuits before. What changed?
For one, Alito didn't recuse himself, despite big $$ ties to oil companies that are defendants in many similar cases that would most likely be affected by a ruling here. And despite recusing in the past.
The Supreme Court has decided to hear a major climate case against fossil fuel companies
Alito has not recused himself, despite owning nearly $200,000 in fossil fuel stocks—including in Phillips 66 and ConocoPhillips, which are being sued in cases that would be directly affected by a SCOTUS ruling
SCOTUS will hear Exxon’s latest bid to crush climate lawsuits, with Justice Alito participating despite owning fossil fuel stocks that could be affected by the outcome.
Learn more via @emdashsanders.bsky.social's piece for ExxonKnews
🚨 NEW 🚨 The Supreme Court finally granted oil companies' request to weigh in on whether climate accountability lawsuits are preempted by federal law. What's different now? For one, Justice Alito didn't recuse himself, despite owning stock in some companies. 👉
Read more about the history of RAGA's coordinated efforts and why this context matters in @amywestervelt.bsky.social's primer here: drilled.media/news/RAGA
Last week I wrote about RAGA's efforts to kill the cases -- this is all part of the same oil-funded network, and the ultimate goal is to escape liability and accountability for as long as possible.
If you ask @thelisagraves.bsky.social, it's "no coincidence" SCOTUS took this case considering all the ways it's "captured with the help of carbon cash."
From Leonard Leo to Koch & others, this is part of a much larger attack on the cases, orchestrated by the same oil interests tied to the court.
SCOTUS has never taken up Big Oil's arguments to kill climate lawsuits before. What changed?
For one, Alito didn't recuse himself, despite big $$ ties to oil companies that are defendants in many similar cases that would most likely be affected by a ruling here. And despite recusing in the past.
And RAGA is at it again. After successfully getting a federal agency to remove the climate science chapter from a reference manual for judges, now they're demanding the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine take it off their website.
Two big attacks on climate accountability lawsuits made the news last week -- and both were pushed by the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Connecting the dots to some of RAGA's biggest funders: the same major oil industry players facing those lawsuits.
www.exxonknews.org/p/the-top-co...
In 2024, the Republican Attorneys General Association received $125k from ExxonMobil; $250k from the American Petroleum Institute; and $250k from Koch Industries, all of whom are defendants in climate lawsuits.. - @emdashsanders.bsky.social
Two big attacks on climate accountability lawsuits made the news last week -- and both were pushed by the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Connecting the dots to some of RAGA's biggest funders: the same major oil industry players facing those lawsuits.
www.exxonknews.org/p/the-top-co...
Exxon can continue its defamation case against California's AG, which legal experts told me last year was a "classic SLAPP suit" meant to silence opponents.
Last month, the American Petroleum Institute said a top priority would be to stop state climate laws and lawsuits this year.
Now, a member of Congress who got $58k from the industry in 2024 is crafting legislation to "tackle" both. www.opensecrets.org/members-of-c... h/t @eenews.bsky.social
As the US govt proclaims that greenhouse gases don't harm human health, I'm remembering my trip to Port Arthur, TX for a @beyondplastics.bsky.social briefing. Oil refineries, petrochemical facilities, & children's playgrounds side by side. Insane rates of asthma and cancer. Absolutely ghoulish
This pro-fossil fuel advocacy group is celebrating the yet-to-be seen bill on X. Its director is the former strategic communications director for Koch Institute.
Koch is a defendant in one such lawsuit the bill is meant to thwart -- a case brought by Minnesota, which recently got closer to trial
Last month, the American Petroleum Institute said a top priority would be to stop state climate laws and lawsuits this year.
Now, a member of Congress who got $58k from the industry in 2024 is crafting legislation to "tackle" both. www.opensecrets.org/members-of-c... h/t @eenews.bsky.social