<
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/08/nw-natural-lawsuit-climate-doubt-oregon>
"Oregon’s most populous county has sued the state’s biggest gas provider for
allegedly sowing climate doubt, marking the first time a utility has faced
charges of climate deception.
Last year, Multnomah county sued 17 fossil fuel companies and interest groups
for allegedly deceiving the public about the climate crisis. The lawsuit came
two years after a record-shattering heat dome killed 69 people across the
county.
Research shows the climate crisis greatly exacerbated the 2021 temperature
surge. Oil and gas companies, which fuel global warming, should pay climate
damages, the lawsuit argues.
On Monday, the county announced that it has amended its complaint to include
the gas utility NW Natural, Oregon’s oldest and largest fossil fuel company.
“NW Natural engaged in an enterprise of misrepresentation about the effects its
products would have on the climate,” the amended litigation says.
NW Natural is responsible for some 9% of Oregon’s carbon dioxide emissions, the
lawsuit alleges, arguing that it has also disseminated misinformation about the
climate dangers of gas.
Gas is primarily made of methane, a greenhouse gas 80 times more planet-heating
than carbon dioxide.
The county’s move could open the door for more litigation against utilities,
said Alyssa Johl, vice-president of legal and general counsel at the Center for
Climate Integrity, which tracks and supports climate deception lawsuits.
“Gas utilities have been significant players in the historic and ongoing
deception campaigns to mislead the public about the dangers of fossil fuels,”
she said.
Though NW Natural has touted its commitment to a “carbon neutral future”, the
company “has not implemented any operational changes that would reduce
greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon”, the lawsuit says. It also accuses the
company of “astroturfing” community support for gas."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
