Big Oil companies are lobbying the US Congress to shield themselves from climate lawsuits, claiming they face “massive liability” and will do everything to avoid facing evidence of their climate deception in court. Organizations such as Public Citizen, Center for Climate Integrity, and Make Polluters Pay have come out strongly against this move, urging lawmakers to reject any attempt by the fossil fuel industry to evade accountability.
The gun lobby’s playbook has been cited as a parallel example of how powerful industries can secure legal shields from accountability, with devastating consequences. The fossil fuel industry spent decades burying climate science while their products fueled the crisis, and now they want taxpayers to cover their tab.
To counter this effort, individuals can make a difference by weaning themselves off dependence on fossil fuels, replacing heat and air conditioning systems with heat pumps, adding solar panels to homes, driving electric cars, making homes more energy efficient, and growing their own fruits and vegetables. If millions of people adopt these efforts, the effect will be felt all the way from Washington, DC, to the Permian Basin.
The real power lies not in calling, writing, or texting elected officials, but in taking individual actions that can collectively drive change. It’s time for lawmakers to stand on the side of justice and accountability, and reject any attempt by Big Oil to get a “get out of jail free card.”
Source: https://cleantechnica.com/2025/03/22/big-oil-lobbying-congress-for-immunity-from-climate-lawsuits