Killer beetles, tinderbox forests: Climate change costs center stage at Supreme Court
Summary
The City of Boulder and Boulder County in Colorado are suing major oil companies, ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy, for damages caused by climate change. They say these companies contributed to global warming that has led to harmful mountain pine beetle outbreaks destroying large forest areas.Key Facts
- A large outbreak of mountain pine beetles has damaged over 700,000 acres of Colorado forests in two years.
- Mountain pine beetles attack trees by feeding on their critical tissues, causing trees to die quickly.
- Climate change, including higher temperatures and drought, has made trees weaker and more vulnerable to beetles.
- Boulder and Boulder County sued ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy in 2018 for financial harm related to climate change effects.
- The lawsuit claims these oil companies contributed to climate change while hiding the dangers of fossil fuels.
- ExxonMobil and Suncor say the lawsuit is flawed because climate change is a global problem, not just caused by these companies.
- West Virginia and 25 other states support ExxonMobil and Suncor, saying only Congress should decide how to handle such climate-related costs.
- The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the lawsuit can proceed or should be dismissed.
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