New York Sues Exxon Mobil Over Climate Change Deception

The oil company claimed it could handle environmental regulations. It lied, according to state officials.

Oil Leak

On Wednesday, New York State sued oil company Exxon Mobil after years of investigations into the company’s practices, according to The New York Times.

Specifically, Exxon Mobil took a very public stance on climate change, claiming it would be ready and able to carry on when faced with stronger environmental regulations. However, internal operations told a very different story — and investors were kept in the dark.

Gaslighting

In the face of impending climate change catastrophe, it seems that Exxon Mobil and its cohort of wealthy supporters was far more motivated to thwart New York State’s investigation rather than actually live up to lofty sustainability claims.

Apparently, convincing the world that Exxon was prepared for climate change was more worthwhile than, you know, doing less to actively cause the problem in the first place.

Adaptation

For what it’s worth, as the NYT mentioned, the attorney general’s suit has nothing to do with actually ravaging the planet.

The real offense, according to New York, was convincing rich investors that Exxon was ready to adapt.

READ MORE: New York Sues Exxon Mobil, Saying It Deceived Shareholders on Climate Change [The New York Times]

More on climate litigation: Arnold Schwarzenegger Is Suing Big Oil for Climate Change