US Senator Bernie Sanders says fossil fuel companies should be prosecuted for their hideously destructive crimes.
Obviously I agree with that. But, you know, I've decided against holding my breath until it happens...
__________________________
For at least 60 years, scientists have warned fossil fuel executives that their products would cause global warming and widespread climate destabilization. In the ensuing decades, executives had the choice to pivot their businesses into renewable energies that could have saved the planet from climate destruction.
Instead, they chose to dismiss their own employees’ climate research and follow in Big Tobacco’s footsteps to engineer a massive disinformation campaign to block climate action which is still thriving today. The consequences of this decision — to put profits far above the planet and people — have proven dire.
Now, as temperatures reach over 100°F (38°C) in South America in the middle of winter, Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling for federal officials to finally take the fossil fuel industry’s long-standing lies about the climate crisis seriously and prosecute the industry the same way the Justice Department prosecuted Big Tobacco decades ago.
In an op-ed published by MSNBC on Thursday, Sanders called for officials to recognize fossil fuel companies’ “clear violation” of racketeering, advertising, consumer protection and other laws in their campaign to spread climate denial and doom future generations to an unlivable planet.
“The fossil fuel companies knew. They knew they were causing global warming and threatening the very existence of the planet,” Sanders wrote. “Yet, in pursuit of profit, fossil fuel executives not only refused to publicly acknowledge what they had learned, but, year after year, lied about that existential threat. And they continue to fund misinformation campaigns today.”
The Vermont senator concluded by saying that it is long past time that Big Oil pay for the damage it’s done.
“The fossil fuel industry must begin to pay for the extraordinary damage it has caused and continues to cause every day,” Sanders wrote. “Climate change is an existential threat to every person on Earth. At every level, in every country, we must work together to save the planet for our kids and future generations. And those most responsible for this global crisis must finally be held accountable.”
__________________________
FULL STORY -- https://truthout.org/articles/sanders-its-time-for-doj-to-treat-fossil-fuel-giants-like-the-liars-they-are/
#Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #ClimateAction #ClimateJustice
Bread and Circuses /
npub1ej…qh8ya
2023-08-08 15:30:01
Author Public Key
npub1ejy6zuevge09258k79qc2exy9l3gafu02thsfj7pfgf3c67q6peqvqh8yaPublished at
2023-08-08 15:30:01Event JSON
{
"id": "b826ee1b8c56c42ad215a25487397d572cb8dc60a0d40f9cb4d2892944d1871f",
"pubkey": "cc89a1732c465e5550f6f1418564c42fe28ea78f52ef04cbc14a131c6bc0d072",
"created_at": 1691508601,
"kind": 1,
"tags": [
[
"t",
"capitalism"
],
[
"t",
"businessasusual"
],
[
"t",
"climate"
],
[
"t",
"ClimateChange"
],
[
"t",
"ClimateCrisis"
],
[
"t",
"ClimateEmergency"
],
[
"t",
"ClimateAction"
],
[
"t",
"ClimateJustice"
],
[
"proxy",
"https://climatejustice.social/users/breadandcircuses/statuses/110854707729758423",
"activitypub"
]
],
"content": "US Senator Bernie Sanders says fossil fuel companies should be prosecuted for their hideously destructive crimes. \n\nObviously I agree with that. But, you know, I've decided against holding my breath until it happens...\n__________________________\n\nFor at least 60 years, scientists have warned fossil fuel executives that their products would cause global warming and widespread climate destabilization. In the ensuing decades, executives had the choice to pivot their businesses into renewable energies that could have saved the planet from climate destruction.\n\nInstead, they chose to dismiss their own employees’ climate research and follow in Big Tobacco’s footsteps to engineer a massive disinformation campaign to block climate action which is still thriving today. The consequences of this decision — to put profits far above the planet and people — have proven dire.\n\nNow, as temperatures reach over 100°F (38°C) in South America in the middle of winter, Sen. Bernie Sanders is calling for federal officials to finally take the fossil fuel industry’s long-standing lies about the climate crisis seriously and prosecute the industry the same way the Justice Department prosecuted Big Tobacco decades ago.\n\nIn an op-ed published by MSNBC on Thursday, Sanders called for officials to recognize fossil fuel companies’ “clear violation” of racketeering, advertising, consumer protection and other laws in their campaign to spread climate denial and doom future generations to an unlivable planet.\n\n“The fossil fuel companies knew. They knew they were causing global warming and threatening the very existence of the planet,” Sanders wrote. “Yet, in pursuit of profit, fossil fuel executives not only refused to publicly acknowledge what they had learned, but, year after year, lied about that existential threat. And they continue to fund misinformation campaigns today.”\n\nThe Vermont senator concluded by saying that it is long past time that Big Oil pay for the damage it’s done.\n\n“The fossil fuel industry must begin to pay for the extraordinary damage it has caused and continues to cause every day,” Sanders wrote. “Climate change is an existential threat to every person on Earth. At every level, in every country, we must work together to save the planet for our kids and future generations. And those most responsible for this global crisis must finally be held accountable.”\n__________________________\n\nFULL STORY -- https://truthout.org/articles/sanders-its-time-for-doj-to-treat-fossil-fuel-giants-like-the-liars-they-are/\n\n#Capitalism #BusinessAsUsual #Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateEmergency #ClimateAction #ClimateJustice",
"sig": "f9d9dc1986dd620339d89a08e1a0d64c0f9bc26030bc5adf8391d1e3075532663a5e2360263a6a06a0932b5c58d30405880ab5220aa64e96d820f848b4e31d35"
}