Rep. Raskin on urging DOJ to investigate 'big oil' for deception on climate change
Big Oil Deception: Next Tobacco Scandal?
Top Democrats in Congress are urging the DOJ to investigate major oil companies for allegedly deceiving the public about their role in climate change. Rep. Jamie Raskin highlighted evidence that these companies have known about the environmental impacts of fossil fuels for over 50 years but chose to suppress this information. This call for investigation is likened to actions taken against the tobacco industry decades ago for misleading the public about the health risks of smoking.
Can you detail the findings from the three-year investigation led by Sheldon Whitehouse and Jamie Raskin into major oil companies?
The three-year investigation led by Senate Budget Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse and Congressman Jamie Raskin into major oil companies revealed significant findings about the industry's knowledge and actions regarding climate change. The investigation uncovered that over 50 years ago, big oil companies were already aware that the burning of fossil fuels contributed to climate destabilization and global warming. Despite this knowledge, these companies chose to suppress this information rather than disclose it to the public or government authorities.
As the scientific community continued to recognize and confirm the link between fossil fuel combustion and climate change, these companies engaged in efforts to deny and obscure the facts. They spread doubt and confusion to undermine public understanding and regulatory actions. Even after the acceptance of climate change in the scientific world, these corporations continued to resist policies that would transition away from a carbon-based economy to renewable energy sources. The investigation compiled evidence of these practices continuing into the present, demonstrating a long-term pattern of deception by the oil industry.
How did big oil companies allegedly suppress evidence about the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the climate, according to Rep. Jamie Raskin?
According to Rep. Jamie Raskin, big oil companies suppressed evidence about the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the climate by initially understanding the impact of fossil fuel combustion on climate destabilization and global warming over fifty years ago but choosing to conceal this information rather than disclosing it to the public and government. As external scientific research began to corroborate the link between fossil fuel use and climate change, these companies engaged in denial and disseminated misinformation to create doubt and confusion about the science of climate change. Even after the scientific consensus on climate change became widely recognized, the oil companies continued efforts to undermine policy changes necessary to transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. This ongoing deception, according to Raskin, has been meticulously documented and is still occurring, warranting a thorough investigation by the Department of Justice.