Article is a few weeks old, but I've been out at the hospital (nothing major) so I couldn't post. Didn't see it posted before...

This is what we have to deal with in Colorado... while I went to CU Boulder for grad school, I call my "home" school Auburn and I'm glad I can...

Anyway...

Source: Boulder files lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Suncor over climate change
POSTED 6:46 PM, APRIL 17, 2018

BOULDER, Colo. -- At a rally on Pearl Street in Boulder on Tuesday, city and county leaders announced they will be suing two major energy producers, ExxonMobil and Suncor, alleging they are responsible for climate change.

"This is about fiscal responsibility, it's about climate accountability," Boulder Mayor Suzanne Jones said.

"Local governments simply cannot afford to foot the bill of climate change alone so we are asking for compensation for those companies who have benefited tremendously huge profits from fossil fuels."

Now: Boulder County Commissioners, City of Boulder and San Miguel county announcing lawsuit against oil and gas companies - believing they should be on the hook for climate change #kdvr #kwgn pic.twitter.com/9WkPZG5zep

— Joe St. George (@JoeStGeorge) April 17, 2018

Joining in the lawsuit is San Miguel County in southwest Colorado.

Similar climate change lawsuits have been filed on the East and West Coasts -- particularly in cities dealing with rising sea levels. The Boulder lawsuit is the first from a landlocked state.

It does not ask for specific damages and if they are successful, it's expected to be a multiyear, multicourt effort, likely culminating with a ruling from the Colorado Supreme Court.

Matt Dempsey with the Western Energy Alliance, a group that advocates on behalf of oil and gas producers, called the action a "political stunt" by Boulder leaders.

"This is a media stunt, this is a way to look like they are doing something. Meanwhile, the oil and gas industry is doing substantial efforts to address climate change," Dempsey said.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Association released a statement.

Coloradans won’t fall for this political stunt. This is not a serious way to address climate concerns. A number of courts, including the United States Supreme Court, already have dismissed prior cases making similar allegations, based on the fact Congress enacted the Clean Air Act to manage emissions that may impact our environment. This lawsuit is similarly misguided. It improperly seeks to have judges, rather than the appropriate regulatory oversight agencies, decide how much carbon dioxide a company emits. Oil and natural gas operators should not be subject to liability for doing nothing more than engaging in the act of commerce while adhering to our already stringent state and federal laws.

Our Colorado operators will continue to lead the way by producing our natural resources cleaner and better than anywhere else. Emissions on the Front Range have gone down in recent years while production has gone up. And U.S. carbon emissions are at a nearly 25-year low due to the increased use of cleaner burning and abundant natural gas for electric power generation.”

Any respectable judge (yeah, I know ) should kick this frivolous lawsuit to the curb and require those who brought it to pay all costs associated with it.

quote:

"And U.S. carbon emissions are at a nearly 25-year low due to the increased use of cleaner burning and abundant natural gas for electric power generation.”

Which if you listen to some botanists is not a good thing at all for the planet.

ExxonMobil and every other gasoline producer need to stop sell their wares in Boulder and its vicinity (say 10 miles out from the city's border) until the suit is resolved - just to ensure additional fines are not levied if they lose the suit.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1 GTO:
ExxonMobil and every other gasoline producer need to stop sell their wares in Boulder and its vicinity (say 10 miles out from the city's border) until the suit is resolved - just to ensure additional fines are not levied if they lose the suit.

This or just add a fee for Climate Change Awareness to every gallon of gas in the city.

What “bill for climate change” is Boulder footing?

Please, let this go to a full trial...in a court room...where real actual evidence is required.

quote:

Originally posted by TXJIM:
Please, let this go to a full trial...in a court room...where real actual evidence is required.

I'd like to see it go to court, but probably not the court you're thinking about. I like that a RICO case (aka the racketeering law originally created to bring down the mafia) was bought against the lying, cheating greenies in this Chevron case.

These lawsuits are popping up with Schwarzenegger, NY AG, Mass AG, Virgin Islands AG, etc. to the point it seems like a coordinated, organized racket.

quote:

ExxonMobil and every other gasoline producer need to stop sell their wares in Boulder and its vicinity (say 10 miles out from the city's border) until the suit is resolved - just to ensure additional fines are not levied if they lose the suit.

quote:

This or just add a fee for Climate Change Awareness to every gallon of gas in the city

I like the above thinking.

quote:

. . . "This is about fiscal responsibility, it's about climate accountability," Boulder Mayor Suzanne Jones said.

"Local governments simply cannot afford to foot the bill of climate change alone so we are asking for compensation for those companies who have benefited tremendously huge profits from fossil fuels." . . .

This is not about fiscal responsibility or climate accountaiblity. This is a Goebbels plan to have the gov't control our energy supply, for their own power and profit.

I very much agree with not selling them any fuel, or put a local, $2 tax on every gallon.

I guess they are worried about rising sea levels swallowing them up.

An attempt at a money grab is all I see, from deranged individuals.

The answer seems clear; all producers of automotive fuels need to stop shipping their products to Boulder, or slapping a significant surcharge on the entire state until the Governor gets them back under control.

I’d like to see mention of this lawsuit in Dec, with temps in the teens. Kinda sad how stupidity is carried along and put up with.

Imagine life in early America where one says, ‘no I won’t eat that chicken, and I don’t like the smoke from our wood heat either’. They would just toss them out, labeled a lunatic.

The per gallon “climate change awareness fee” is something Boulder government might do anyway. Exxon-Mobil is not the only gasoline supplier to Boulder and any vindictive move by that corporation will only hurt local gas stations, fuel truck drivers etc.

Not much Suncor can do in response to the suit; not sure why they picked these two corporations. I guess Boulder is still mad about the pipeline.

Asshattery at its finest....

Semi-rhetorical, two-part question: what standing do they have? How were they harmed?

quote:

Local governments simply cannot afford to foot the bill of climate change alone

/sarc on

Boulder should be saving money due to this horrific ecological catastrophe....as their winters warm up, doesn't that save them heating bills? They should be sending the savings to global energy firms, with their thanks, and request them to redouble their efforts.

/sarc off

The crazy continues strong in Boulder.

James, good to read that you are out of hospital.

Q: how are the Boulder City coffers? Is this lawsuit a means to garner revenue for the city, city attorney and friends?

Q: Is it re-election time for the mayor/city attorney?

--chris