California sues Chevron, other oil giants, alleges climate change deception

Sep 19, 2023

Lauren Taylor Anchor/Reporter

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor/Reporter), Brock Koller (Senior Producer), Ian Kennedy (Editor)

California sued five of the world’s largest oil companies, alleging they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels and the impact on climate change. The lawsuit filed in San Francisco Superior Court targeted BP, Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Shell, and ConocoPhillips, along with the companies’ trade group, the American Petroleum Institute.

In the 135-page filing, the state alleged that all five oil companies have known about the negative impacts of burning fossil fuels on the climate since the 1960s yet the companies downplayed this information and lied about it to the public.

State officials said climate-related storms, fires and droughts have cost billions of dollars in damage. Part of the lawsuit seeks to create a fund to assist with recovery after future disasters that the oil companies would finance.

California is one of several states to file a complaint against the oil companies.

According to the Straight Arrow News Media Miss™ tool, this story is a Media Miss for the right. The Media Landscape indicates that while left-leaning and center-oriented outlets are covering this story, fewer right-leaning outlets are reporting on the topic.

The American Petroleum Institute called the lawsuit meritless and politicized, adding climate change should be debated in Congress, not a courtroom. In a similar statement, Shell agreed that immediate action to combat climate change is needed but a courtroom is not the right place to debate that.

“This ongoing, coordinated campaign to wage meritless, politicized lawsuits against a foundational American industry and its workers is nothing more than a distraction from important national conversations and an enormous waste of California taxpayer resources. Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide, not the court system,” said Ryan Meyers, American Petroleum Institute senior vice president and general counsel.

Chevron said that climate change requires a coordinated international response while accusing California of being a leading promoter of fossil fuel development.

Still, the lawsuit alleged that these companies launched a disinformation campaign as early as 1970 to discredit scientific research regarding climate change.

Rhode Island, Baltimore and Honolulu are among the other states and cities that have filed similar complaints against oil companies.

Straight Arrow News strives to provide unbiased, fact-based news in addition to offering a comprehensive look at how the media is covering stories that matter most. Learn more about the Media Miss™ tool and decide for yourself.

Tags: British Petroleum, California, Chevron, Climate Change, Exxon, Exxon Mobil, Fossil Fuels, Gavin Newsom, Media Miss, Oil, Wildfire

CALIFORNIA IS SUING FIVE OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST OIL COMPANIES… ALLEGING THEY DECEIVED THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE RISKS OF FOSSIL FUELS AND THE IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE.

THE LAWSUIT… FILED IN SAN FRANCISCO SUPERIOR COURT… GOES AFTER BP, EXXONMOBIL, CHEVRON, SHELL, AND CONOCOPHILLIPS ALONG WITH THE COMPANIES’ TRADE GROUP THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE.

IN THE ONE-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-FIVE PAGE FILING, THE STATE ALLEGES THAT ALL FIVE OIL COMPANIES HAVE KNOW ABOUT THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS BURNING FOSSIL FUELS HAVE ON THE CLIMATE SINCE THE NINETEEN-SIXTIES… YET THE COMPANIES DOWNPLAYED THIS INFORMATION AND LIED ABOUT IT TO THE PUBLIC.

CALIFORNIA OFFICIALS SAY CLIMATE RELATED STORMS, FIRES, AND DROUGHTS HAVE COST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DAMAGES… PART OF THE LAWSUIT SEEKS FOR A FUND TO ASSIST WITH RECOVERY AFTER FUTURE DISASTERS THAT WOULD BE FINANCED BY THE OIL COMPANIES.

CALIFORNIA IS ONE OF SEVERAL STATES AND CITIES TO FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE OIL COMPANIES.

AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU A MEDIA LANDSCAPE OF HOW THIS STORY IS BEING PRESENTED ACROSS THE NEWS INDUSTRY..

CALIFORNIA’S LAWSUIT AGAINST THESE OIL COMPANIES IS A STORY NOT BEING COVERED BY ALL MEDIA..

OUR MEDIA MISS TOOL SHOWS THE MAJORITY OF OUTLETS COVERING THE STORY ARE EITHER CENTER ORIENTED LIKE REUTERS OR LEFT-LEANING LIKE CNN WHOSE HEADLINE READS “CALIFORNIA SUES 5 MAJOR OIL COMPANIES, ACCUSES OF THEM DECEIVING PUBLIC OVER RISKS OF FOSSIL FUEL USE.” .

RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS ARE UNDERREPORTING CALIFORNIA’S LAWSUIT. THOUGH WHEN THEY DO, RIGHT-LEANING SITES ARE TAKING A DIFFERENT TONE- LIKE FOX BUSINESS WHO WROTE “CALIFORNIA GOES TO WAR WITH OIL AND GAS GIANTS OVER CLIMATE CHANGE ‘DECEPTION’”

THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE – CALLING THE LAWSUIT MERITLESS AND POLITICIZED – SAYS CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE DEBATED IN CONGRESS.. NOT A COURTROOM. IN A SIMILAR STATEMENT SHELL AGREES THAT IMMEDIATE ACTION TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS NEEDED… BUT A COURTROOM IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE.

CHEVRON SAYS IN ITS STATEMENT THAT CLIMATE CHANGE REQUIRES A COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSE WHILE ACCUSING CALIFORNIA OF BEING A LEADING PROMOTER OF FOSSIL FUEL DEVELOPMENT.

STILL… THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT THESE COMPANIES LAUNCHED A DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN AS EARLY AS NINETEEN-SEVENTIES TO DISCREDIT SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE.

RHODE ISLAND, BALTIMORE AND HONOLULU ARE AMONG THE OTHER STATES AND CITIES THAT HAVE FILED SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AGAINST OIL COMPANIES.