New York City is suing 5 major oil companies, claiming they contributed to global warming
It seems that nowadays the existence of climate change is a never-ending source of controversy. But in the face of years that keep getting hotter, local governments have decided to put a stop to global warming.
Today, January 1oth, the Associated Press reported New York City suing oil companies BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, and Royal Dutch Shell. The city claims that these five companies contributed to global warming, and New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is suing for billions of dollars to cover the costs of adapting to climate change.
"As climate change continues to worsen, it's up to the fossil fuel companies whose greed put us in this position to shoulder the cost of making New York safer and more resilient," de Blasio said in a statement.
In addition, the city plans to sell $5 billion of funds it has invested in fossil fuels. The lawsuit claims that the five companies being sued have produced 11 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution.
Representatives for Chevron and Exxon spoke out against the lawsuit.
“Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue and requires global participation and actions, Exxon's statement said. “Lawsuits of this kind — filed by trial attorneys against an industry that provides products we all rely upon to power the economy and enable our domestic life – simply do not do that.
New York City is the first big city in America to sue AND divest from Big Oil. #DivestNY #stopfundingfossils pic.twitter.com/aziLx3HEnQ
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 10, 2018
New York is not the first city to sue oil companies over climate change. In September, California cities San Francisco and Oakland filed lawsuits against the same five oil companies under fire in the latest legal development.
Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane have been linked to the greenhouse effect, which has been causing climate change to worsen. And the largest carbon dioxide emissions result from burning gasoline or other petroleum products — what oil companies like Exxon and BP produce. Based on this information, it’s reasonable for New York to argue that these companies have affected global warming.
Despite what some might claim, even on the coldest days, global warming is not a lie.We’re glad that NYC is taking a stand against companies that emit these harmful gases. After all, we only have one planet; we need to do our best to protect it.
