A new threat is emerging to American energy independence in the form of left-wing attorneys filing lawsuits against oil and gas companies, blaming them for so-called “climate” deaths. While the lawsuits have been unsuccessful to date, the Supreme Court has yet to formally quash them, allowing liberal law firms to keep clogging up the court system by filing questionable claims.
Even more concerningly, some of these “climate lawfare” crusades are being funded by foreign billionaires and even the Chinese Communist Party – raising the disturbing possibility that potentially hostile foreign actors are fueling efforts to undermine domestic energy production and, by extension, U.S. national security.
The Wall Street Journal recently detailed one such climate lawfare case surrounding the death of Julie Leon, “who suffered heatstroke in her car in June 2021 after driving almost 100 miles without air conditioning on a day when temperatures hit a record-breaking 108 degrees.” The plaintiffs in the case have now brought a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Leon’s estate against Exxon, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, and other energy giants, claiming that “oil and gas companies caused the heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest in 2021.”
As the Journal notes, this case could well be a sign of a new wave of climate lawfare where left-wing activists look to target energy industry leaders directly. In another case out of Montana, a state court has ruled “that 16 youth plaintiffs were injured by climate change.” Some climate activists are already “making the case that energy executives should face homicide prosecutions for deaths purportedly caused by climate change.”
Previously, the environmental movement had focused on filing lawsuits on behalf of blue states and cities, alleging that higher temperatures are directly caused by the burning of oil and gas, and thus companies such as Exxon Mobil and Shell should be held financially liable. According to the Center for Climate Integrity, which supports that claim, there are currently dozens of such lawsuits winding their way through the courts.
Charleston, South Carolina, for example, has sued “two dozen energy companies,” according to Fox News, “alleging oil and gas companies negatively affect the climate.” First filed in 2020, a state judge recently dismissed the lawsuit, saying it “could open floodgates to lawsuits being brought over any weather activity,” according to Fox.
“Already, scores of states, counties, and municipalities have sued a hodgepodge of oil-and-gas companies for the alleged weather-related effects of climate change,” Judge Roger Young, a member of the state’s Court of Common Pleas, wrote in his ruling. “If these lawsuits were successful, municipalities, companies, and individuals across the country could bring suits for injuries after every weather event. The list of potential plaintiffs is unbounded.”
Furthermore, the lawsuits, particularly those brought on behalf of cities like Charleston, would open up the municipalities themselves to legal problems. Judge Young pointed out that Charleston “long used and continue[s] to use fossil fuels for myriad purposes — and built and maintained nearly all the roads and bridges that make fossil-fuel-powered transportation possible.” (It’s perhaps no wonder, given these developments, that voters elected the first Republican mayor of Charleston in 150 years in 2023.)
Charleston isn’t the only Democrat-run city that has been dealt a setback in the courts. As the Journal notes, “State judges in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania have dismissed climate claims this year on jurisdictional grounds.”
While taxpayers are on the hook for many of these lawsuits, there is also another category of backers fueling the lawfare against American energy: foreign billionaires.
Take, for instance, a 2024 lawsuit filed on behalf of California against Exxon Mobil, which accuses the company of covering up the costs of single-use plastics. A parallel lawsuit against the company is also being funded by Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest, according to the Washington Free Beacon. Forrest’s company, the Beacon reports, has begun shifting its investments to so-called “green energy,” meaning he benefits when oil and gas companies are harmed.
During a Senate Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights hearing earlier this year, Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) also warned that the United States is facing a “coordinated assault by the radical left backed and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party, to seize control of our courts, to weaponize litigation against U.S. energy producers, all in order to undermine American energy dominance.” As The Hill reported at the time, “Cruz explained that foreign money from entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party to fund efforts by climate advocacy groups to litigate against American energy producers.”
As alarming as this prospect is, these lawsuits are likely to continue. There are conceivably millions of potential plaintiffs if every city, state, and individual is able to make some sort of claim of being harmed by climate change – and the Chinese Communist Party has no shortage of cash to fund these attempts to sabotage American energy security.
Democrats and Republicans should be able to unite on this issue: foreign billionaires should not be allowed to wage “climate lawfare” against American companies that literally fuel the economy. It’s time for the Supreme Court to step in and stop the absurd legal battles.
Matt Lamb is a contributor for AMAC Newsline and an associate editor for The College Fix. He previously worked for Students for Life of America, Students for Life Action, and Turning Point USA. He previously interned for Open the Books. His writing has also appeared in the Washington Examiner, The Federalist, LifeSiteNews, Human Life Review, Headline USA, and other outlets. The opinions expressed are his own. Follow him @mattlamb22 on X.
I hazard to say that many of the individuals “harmed” by so called man made climate change would have survived if common sense had been applied. The woman who died while driving 100 miles in 100+ degree heat could have stopped to cool off. Did she have water? Probably not.
If people were held accountable for their own actions instead of looking for “deep pockets” every time someone is injured or killed, the world would be a much saner place.
And… FOLLOW THE MONEY!
The problem with these lawsuits is that no one seems to be following the money. Crooked judges who allow frivolous litigation without merit should also be investigated. Make these plaintiffs pay for everything including all the court costs and make sure that foreign backing is squelched. Lawyers don’t care where the money originates from, and that’s why are courts are clogged with litigation sewage.
Nothing new here. Diehard Democrats continue to receive support from foreign entities, anything to delay any needed reforms from Trump’s administration. All judicial matters are filed in those courts that support the Democrats agenda. All of this is to get the Democrats agenda back on track to destroy this nation.
Radical Marxist environmentalist Democrats have been beating this dead horse for 50 years. It is nothing but a giant hoax and is designed to break the American economy.. that’s all there is to it. It’s all about bigger government higher taxes and more regulations. Why do you think foreign money is coming in trying to break American corporations. They’re using climate change otherwise known as global warming as the weapon to destroy this country. Unfortunately Democrats are joining in the assault. Democrats literally are the epitome of evil
The Supreme Court needs to stop this nonsense permanently.
Any foreign money sponsored organization should lose its right to bring lawsuits in the United States, have its charter revoked that makes it legal, and should be prosecuted for failure to register as a foreign agency.
The entire purpose of the climate change scam is to allow a few globalists to control all mining. Manufacturing, agriculture, transportation and YOU! With the ultimate goal of eliminating YOU and your family! Make no mistake, they want to rule and you dead!
Amazing how the LEFT is happy to cheer on the foreign interests to use our legal system to bring us down. Those who believe this is a good thing in the name of “clean energy” need some lessons on the prospect of replacing fossil fuels in the near future. China is one of the worst or the worst polluters on earth. The foreign interests are in ending our country. Nothing to do with climate.
“…While the lawsuits have been unsuccessful to date, the Supreme Court has yet to formally quash them, allowing liberal law firms to keep clogging up the court system by filing questionable claims.”
Its time to charge these judges with obstruction for allowing these suites to continue. Relieve the judges of their duties as judges. They aren’t doing the jobs they are there for!!
End of Story!
All the money and time wasted on these frivolous lawsuits should be paid from those filing.
Attorneys are making a mint off of the American people and any outside influence from the various wealthy billionaires, China and any other communist nation needs to stop
Completely bizarre. She shld not have been in her car if it was t j at hot. Wasn’t that her choice? This needs to be stopped, so that it doesn’t clog the courts. We shld not allow ANY foreign money fund any American law suit!!!!
This again shows the democrats philosophy, no one is responsible for their action, someone else is. To drive in a car without AC on a 108 degree day has something to do with your responsibility. Not the oil companies. I would say Bill Gates and his chem trails in the sky, has a greater responsibility. But getting back to the subject at hand, not one democrat leader will take responsibility for crime, unemployment, crumbling infrastructure it is Trump’s fault even when they had a dem president. They blame everything that goes bad in this country on Trump. What about people taking responsibility for what they do and own up to the consequences of those actions. But from our fearless Biden on down they were told it is all Trump’s fault. Let the prisoners out of jail, dont arrest teenagers who maim kill rape and rob at will. Oh they are only 12 years old. Really? A 12 year old with a gun is just as dangerous as a 21 year old. But they have nothing to fear they can steal at will no consequences, and when they get bored with that let’s do a carjacking, then let’s beat up someone till they kill a person. And as long as it is a white person nothing happens. The perp will scream discrimination I am trans and go to a woman’s prison and go home after a few months. The victim is just as dead. But the democrats blame everything on the right and preferably on a white right person. This is so disgusting that there still are democrats that stand there and scream against law and order but knowing where it comes from and who supports them it is not a surprise. If there is peace in the Ukraine they will word it in such a way that nothing happened. They don’t want America to succeed. They want their communist country to succeed. People take your blinders off we are being attacked from all sides and with the courts having been weaponized they are quietly reaching that goal. And like always the billionaire elites are funding the plan.
The Left went nuts about fake foreign interference when they could use it to further their goals, but now we find they are the ones who are supported by real foreign interference.
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SCOTUS fix this foreign/$$/Bad Actors intrusion in American Policy. Do it NOW!
How about a bunch of counter-suits against these bums? Best defense is a good offense!
The bottom line is that foreign actors know that our economy runs on oil. If our president is successful in unleashing our energy producers, the rest of the world will never be able to conquer us in any meaningful capacity. These liberal lawyers should be held accountable for their unAmerican actions. Deported from our country for sure, maybe even some jail time, maybe in the same prison cells that held the J6ers!
Let those leading the crusade for saving the environment and the planet show us by personal example how to change the ways and how to contribute to the betterment of climate. Show me , don’t tell me.
So, the USA, all alone, will conquer Climate Change? What about China!? India!? Russia!? They are doing more than the USA to pollute the world. Yeah, I know. Shady lawyers are cheaper here. And mostly paid for already….(smh)
Congress needs to act first before the SCOTUS can do anything. Congress needs to pass a Protection of Lawful Commerce in Energy Act just as they did for the gun manufacturing firms.
The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act was used to shut down a $15 billion lawsuit by Mexico against gun manufacturers and distributors in this country over the lawlessness in Mexico by the drug cartels.
The same reasoning could be used by the DoJ and SCOTUS to protect our energy supply and economy if Congress would give them the tools to do it.
So write to your elected representatives and tell them to get busy on this one.
They should be permanently banned from the USA in all areas especially financial!
How will we supply energy for all the ai companies being built?
God help us all. . .
Our entire solar system is heating up from within all planets heating up that includes the earth as well as the SUN!!! Please make these control freak devils explain the increase of volcanic, and earthquake activity which is off the chart! Geoengineering is also to blame. The upper atmoshere has been weaponized. Haarp etc. This is just getting started, strap in its going to be a wild ride!!!
The last I heard
God was still in charge. Climate has been changing since the beginning of time.
Our system is broken when a ridiculous case like that is even brought before a court. Not that it hasn’t been going on for ages, a plane crashes through human error and the people that made the windscreen, the tires, the seats etc all get sued. It’s ludicrous. I wish I had an answer, but all I can do is regret yearning for the times when I was young and this kind of crap never happened.
The left’s goal is to destroy our economy.
We need this to get to the SCOTUS immediately and have them put an end to this nonsense. Lawyers are leeches on society in most cases.
Maybe the activists should be charged with being morons. What is wrong with these judges who, if their causes are being financed by enemies which therefore indicates the judges have bad motives, cannot discern between what is good and what is evil for the American people?
So We The People Shall counter the Forigen billionaires along with the domestic Terrorist lawyers with as many and more lawsuits!
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander!
Also these so called American lawyers who have and currently are taking Forigen money Shall lose their privileges to be attorneys as well!
Enough said!
Where are the shysters suing big pharma for the vaccinated deaths cause by their toxic poison?
Julie Leon should have been wise by having a car with air conditions, she was foolish to drive in such high heat and humidity with no air conditioning. But the shysters file a frivolous lawsuit against the oil companies for making it hot. Mad magazine could not come up with something like this.
Kick all of the foreign lawsuits out because they should not have that right to do that!
Remind me to sue the climate change idiots the next time I get a cold in the winter.
This is why Congress MUST pass loser pays law. If the Defendants win these insane lawsuits those filing the suit MUST pay all legal costs and fees.
Why I’d thisnot stopped, by or governments. It seems dems pushed global warming to death i.e. see green energy catastrophe. Take over seas billionaires money. Punish China withsantions or malwray.
I would like to see what proof the plaintiffs (in the case have now brought a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of Leon’s estate against Exxon, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips, and other energy giants) have for their claim that “oil and gas companies caused the heat wave that scorched the Pacific Northwest in 2021.” Especially I would like to know how the explain away Le Chatelier’s principle.
& Fund elections ala 2020, 2022, 2024
Shakespear was correct about (activist) lawyers. Thats all i’m saying.
on a different note. the old movies’ dialogue was always outstanding. one very popular quote was from the movie Taken. Bryan Mills: I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don’t have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you let my daughter go now, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you, and I will kill you. Alert the B-2 Squadron.
Does anyone know if foreign money infilltrating our legal system is against the law? Isn’t that foreign influence and isn’t that illegal? Can’t the groups accepting this money be investigated and either brought up on charges or have their status revoked since most of these are activist groups?
Sounds like the new form of money laundering. Bring frivulous lawsuits, lawyers that take them pay the democrat NGO of choice as a kickback for getting the work, and line their own pockets in the process.
Torte reform is needed.
Wow! really these people are out to destroy us! These who claim is just quilty of this!
The AI companies are going to use up all of the energy; are they going to tell them not to build AI? Hmmm
Always have, and always will.
Any lawyers/organizations who bring these cases to court should lose their home and business accounts with their electric/oil/gas companies. Let them see how they’ll get along without electricity, heat/AC, cooking, etc.
Let’s say the Supreme Court has been remiss in not working harder to stop these outside liberal money suppliers from bringing any kind of lawsuits against our country! I also think that these same billionaires of other countries should be maxed out at limited donation money to any American politician running for office! That goes the same for our own billionaires trying to use their money to influence political elections of any kind.
Just ask one question, how did the attorneys that are using climate conserns arrive at the court house? Are they not contributing to the climate issues!
so, I assume that the countries these billionaires reside in or are from do t have cars and burn fossil fuel? So, Ghey must also be suing companies there? Or is it just the US that they are targeting, the country with the some of the cleanest air in the planet? This has nothing to do with climate change, which can only be proven historically to exist through the planet’s existence. But, there is no scientific proof that we can permanently harm or change the climate. It has been changing up and down since climate existed. Did we warm the climate to melt the ice age? This is purely an economic issue, money, for those billionaires, their countries and the lawyers. It’s the same lawfare we are seeing in politics. These suits should be thrown out immediately unless they have proof, not conjecture, of the damage. This just drives up prices for everyone here and probably makes foreign products more competitive. Money!
So, what would happen if these fossil fuel companies just stopped producing? Then whom do they sue and for what?
Time to blame the real culprit. The government spraying of the skies to control the weather. WHY is everyone sitting around blind to the fact the government is controlling the weather and not climate change?? Take time every day to look up and see the spray raining down on you and your grandchildren.
There is only natural climate change. Wake up America.