In this Thursday Teach-In, our focus will be Fossil Fuel Companies. Sure, there are many factors that led to today’s climate crisis and many ways to look at who is responsible for this complex problem, but there is one group of industries above all else which is especially responsible and needs to be held accountable: fossil fuel corporations. It is now proven that fossil fuel corporations, like Exxon, knew about climate change a half century ago. But rather than use that precious time to lead a transition to clean, safe, renewable energy, protecting workers and communities during the transition, these corporations deceived the public through spreading fake science and climate denialism, misled their shareholders, viciously expanded their fossil fuel exploration and extraction, blocked climate solutions at the state and federal level, sought to silence dissent and protest, and robbed humanity of a generation’s worth of time to advance solutions. And these companies were – and still are – facilitated by the banks, investors and insurance companies that continue to finance and insure fossil fuel projects, long after the science was clear that our collective survival depends on winding down, not ramping up, fossil fuel production.
Across the US – and internationally – people, cities and states are starting to use financial and legal processes to hold fossil fuel corporations accountable. The Fossil Fuel Divestment campaign has inspired over $11 Trillion to be divested from fossil fuels, as a growing number of investors refuse to participate in the industry that is cooking the planet. The Fossil Fuel Free Money pledge has recruited hundreds of electoral candidates to refuse campaign donations from fossil fuel companies, there by liberating leaders from serving fossil fuel corporate donors. Organizations are campaigning to get banks, investors and insurance companies to choose the side of humanity over profits and withdraw support from fossil fuels. And now, children, cities and states are starting a range of legal proceedings related to fossil fuel corporations’ roles in the climate crisis, kickstarting a new round of climate liability proceedings.
For decades, fossil fuel companies took a page from Big Tobacco and tried to hide the truth, demonstrating a callous disregard for human well being. But around the world, people are banding together to say ENOUGH. It’s time we take back our government, our energy system and our future from these corporations whose decisions and deceit disproportionately contributed to today’s climate crisis.