Holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their contribution to climate change: Where does the law stand?. (2nd November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Burger, Michael; Wentz, Jessica
• Is Part Of: Bulletin of the atomic scientists. Volume 74:Number 6(2018)
• Page Start: 397
• Page End: 403
• Publication Date: 2018-11-02
• Subjects: Climate change -- climate reparations -- climate tutorial -- climate litigation -- climate liability -- fossil fuels -- greenhouse gases; Nuclear energy -- Periodicals; Nuclear energy -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Nuclear energy -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Renewable energy sources -- Periodicals; Nuclear weapons -- Periodicals; Nuclear weapons -- Government policy -- Periodicals; Nuclear arms control -- Periodicals; 363.1799
• DOI: 10.1080/00963402.2018.1533217
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0096-3402

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The judge who called for a climate tutorial in a federal court in San Francisco accepted the science that says that human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide play the central role in rising average global temperatures, increased sea levels, and coastal flooding – but threw out a lawsuit calling for financial reparations from the oil companies for causing these problems. Why? And what might the decision mean for other cases in other states, along similar lines, that are still in the works? Two environmental lawyers, one of whom was in the courtroom for the tutorial, explain.