Image 01 Image 03

Democratic Senators Now Want DOJ to Sue Fossil Fuel Firms over #ClimateCrisis Pseudoscience

Democratic Senators Now Want DOJ to Sue Fossil Fuel Firms over #ClimateCrisis Pseudoscience

Senators Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, and Elizabeth Warren issue their demands as U.S. gas prices have hit an eight-month high.

It is being reported that U.S. gas prices have hit an eight-month high amid rising oil prices.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded climbed to $3.71 Thursday, data from AAA showed. That’s more than 13 cents higher than the week before and the highest since November.

In 16 states, gas prices are up by at least 15 cents in the past week alone — and up 20 cents or more in Florida, Iowa and Indiana.

The move higher follows a surge in oil prices, which have climbed more than $10 a barrel over the past month to a three-month high of more than $80.

That increase, in turn, has come in response to production cuts by OPEC nations and the impact of outages at U.S. refineries, both of which are related to intense summer heat.

As Americans feel the pain at the pump, four Democratic senators are demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) sue the fossil fuel industry based on climate crisis pseudoscience.

Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Ed Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., sent a letter Monday to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, urging him to take action against the fossil fuel industry for making climate change a “non-issue” and costing the United States trillions of dollars.

“Big oil has known for decades that they are fueling the climate crisis and lied to hide it,” Markey wrote in a tweet Monday. “Now, we’re seeing record-breaking temperatures and unprecedented damage. We must hold them accountable for their misleading, unforgivable campaigning.”

…In the three-page letter, the senators argued “The actions of ExxonMobil, Shell and potentially other fossil fuel companies represent a clear violation of federal racketeering laws, truth in advertising laws, consumer protection laws and potentially other laws, and the department must act swiftly to hold them accountable for their unlawful actions.”

Now, the American Petroleum Institute (API) has taken a defense position by back against the letter, saying it was committed to advocating for policies reducing emissions.

“The record of the past two decades demonstrates that the industry is achieving its goal of providing affordable, reliable American energy to U.S. consumers while substantially reducing emissions and our environmental footprint,” a spokesperson for API told Fox News Digital. “Any suggestion to the contrary is false.”

In 2021, API published its Climate Action Framework, which stated the group shares the “goal of reduced emissions across the broader economy and, specifically, those from energy production, transportation and use by society.”

I would argue that the better choice would be to fight back against the poor science and politicized assertions these Senators are offering.

The current heat wave is being relentlessly blamed on increasing levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, but there is a much more plausible explanation, one that is virtually endorsed by two of the world’s leading scientific organizations. It turns out that levels of water vapor in the atmosphere have dramatically increased over the last year-and-a-half, and water vapor is well recognized as a greenhouse gas, whose heightened presence leads to higher temperatures, a mechanism that dwarfs any effect CO2 may have.

So, why has atmospheric water vapor increased so dramatically? Because of a historic, gigantic volcanic eruption last year that I – probably along with you — had never heard of. The mass media ignored it because it took place 490 feet underwater in the South Pacific. Don’t take it from me, take it from NASA (and please do follow the link to see time lapse satellite imagery of the underwater eruption and subsequent plume of gasses and water injected into the atmosphere):

There is a great deal of other data to present that proves we live in a world in which the weather is a complex dynamic system that includes the Sun, geology, and ocean currents. Perhaps it is time the fossil fuel companies stop paying defense and come out swinging in court.

DONATE

Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.

Comments

America will be a better nation if the Democrat party could be done away with.

E Howard Hunt | August 2, 2023 at 9:14 am

Who knew back in the 70s, when Bernie Sanders was writing about S&M rape fantasies for a Vermont rag and Ed Markey was cruising the Boston suburbs at the wheel of his ice cream truck, that they would become such distinguished solons?

    The Gentle Grizzly in reply to E Howard Hunt. | August 2, 2023 at 9:21 am

    Or, thst a family of drunkards and playboys would become America’s royalty.

    Massinsanity in reply to E Howard Hunt. | August 2, 2023 at 9:50 am

    If Markey ever spent any time in MA he would know that we have had an exceptionally cool and wet Summer so far. First week in August and we won’t break 80 all week and nights in the low 60s. Awesome weather but more like early September.

    I was always told that weather was not climate but apparently that isn’t so when it works to support their arguments.

      I was told the same thing: Climate is what you expect; weather is what you get.

      But to these swindlers and con artists, it’s all “climate change”.

      It’s hot. “Climate change!”
      It’s cold. “Climate change!”
      It’s windy. “Climate change!”
      It’s rainy. “Climate change!”
      It’s snowing. “Climate change!”
      Cicadas. “Climate change!”
      Frogs. “Climate change!”
      Pregnancy. “Climate change!”
      Clowns. “Climate Change!!!”
      Sharknado. “ZOMGCLIMATECHANGE!!!1!!11!!!”

      The only thing that doesn’t get blamed on “climate change” is nice weather.

Meanwhile in the real world he promised/threatened OPEC+ production cuts have actually arrived; Russia cut 550K bpd of oil production which is 900K bpd less than the March high. The resulting price increase in oil pushed it above the price level set for allowable purchase by the ‘sanctions’. As a result the roughly 36/192 Nations which agreed to follow the ‘sanctions’ will have high prices as a result of artificial limitations on supply.

    When gas prices topped $4 per gallon in May 2011, President Barack Obama said, “We can’t just drill our way out of the problem.”

    We Did ‘Drill Our Way Out of the Problem, until Dementia Joe and his minions came into office.

      CommoChief in reply to Neo. | August 2, 2023 at 11:17 am

      We better start building some new refineries as well. The insane regulations caused existing refineries to expand their capacity but they’re just about maxed out. This coupled with recent refinery closures and we don’t have much if any slack capacity to absorb any disruption like scheduled maintenance much less a fire or other damage such a hurricane.

“I would argue that the better choice would be to fight back against the poor science and politicized assertions these Senators are offering”

This ^1,000

It is time, in so very many areas of society, to fight back against tyranny, pseudo-science, and downright insanity with facts, well thought out arguments, and intestinal fortitude. Do not cede ANY bogus talking points to remain suitable for “polite society”. We are way past the time to acquiesce to the authoritarians’ bullying.

The rule is that women vote for the people who seem to mean well, so it’s only necessary to plausibly mean well. That’s what all the dems always do.

Calling something incorrect science isn’t going to impress women. Does he mean well?

    CommoChief in reply to rhhardin. | August 2, 2023 at 11:23 am

    Some, not all, though women as a demographic did vote for Biden 57% v 43% Trump in 2020. Hopefully some will have come to regret that and be willing to correct the error. These are also the voters most upset by ‘mean tweets’ who probably won’t change their voting pattern without a softening in Trump’s normally combative communication style. It’s up to the candidates to attract voters not push them away and we will find which strategy is adopted and whether it is successful in ’24.

      BigRosieGreenbaum in reply to CommoChief. | August 2, 2023 at 2:12 pm

      I didn’t know there was a rule.

      Those mean tweets are horrible! Horrible I tell ya!

      But the creepy old senile dude who diddled his daughter in the shower? That’s cool

      WTF?

        CommoChief in reply to Paul. | August 2, 2023 at 7:45 pm

        The ‘mean tweets’ don’t make a hill of beans to you or I. Heck, I like the freewheeling, sarcastic, in your face performance theater that is Trump’s communication style. It reminds me of old school professional wrestling (when ‘rasslin was real).

        The same can’t be said for everyone. A large group of folks who vote don’t like it all. It pisses them off for some reason. I don’t get why they would focus on that v all the slap crazy shit Biden is up to but that seems to be the case. Certainly it was with a significant portion of women voters in ’20

        Pretending that isn’t true will not erase the fact these otherwise willing voters against Biden find it so off putting they will stay HoR or even worse vote for ‘moderate, kindly Joe Biden ‘who promises to restore ‘civility and norms’.

        Keep in mind that less than 88,000 votes in three States was enough in 2020. Making an effort to attract those 88,000 v keep pissing them off seems like a good strategy if one is actually trying to win an election.

        Gathering votes is the name of the game in elections; that means kissing babies and to some degree, kissing the asses of voters to gain their vote. Deciding to keep going with a communication style/strategy that has already proven to push away some needed voters seems like an act of pure ego. Stepping into politics means doing the distasteful stuff that politicians have to do in order to win. If a candidate won’t do that then I begin to question their commitment to victory and when their loud but still minority of ardent supports shrugs this off, I question their commitment as well.

    BigRosieGreenbaum in reply to rhhardin. | August 2, 2023 at 2:17 pm

    I didn’t know there was a rule.

    Also, replied to the wrong person below.

    BigRosieGreenbaum in reply to rhhardin. | August 2, 2023 at 2:18 pm

    See my comment below.

    nordic prince in reply to rhhardin. | August 2, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    It’s not just women, but there are plenty of soy boys that exhibit that mentality as well.

    Equal Opportunity pseudocivility.

Suburban Farm Guy | August 2, 2023 at 9:56 am

These senators are not only ignoramuses but galaxy-class hypocrites. Not giving up heat in their mansions or private jet travel, you can bet your life

    You misspelled “ignoranus.”

    That said, this roster of clowns shouldn’t be anywhere near the Congress. Naturally, the highly compromised DO”J” will do what they say.

I am not too sure that there is in fact a climate crisis.

    geronl in reply to Aussie Pat. | August 2, 2023 at 12:01 pm

    There is not.

      LibraryGryffon in reply to geronl. | August 2, 2023 at 2:46 pm

      When I lived in Iowa City in the mid-80s the bank clack would register in the 100s bearly every day in July, every year. I just checked the official Temps for this year and many of the daily highs were only low to mid 80s. Even allowing for thermometer placement, I don’t think it’s hotter this year than it was then.

        CommoChief in reply to LibraryGryffon. | August 2, 2023 at 5:05 pm

        Yeah, these official temp station readings couldn’t possibly be inaccurate due to placement in heat sink as result of changes around them over the decades. It isn’t as if the the green belt where these stations were located was bulldozed to put in strip malls and suburban neighborhoods. Concrete, glass, steel and asphalt has the same background heat absorption/radiation characteristics as a patch of grassy ground on a dairy farm right? /S

The DOJ shows all the signs of being stupid enough to try to sue the oil companies. Of course, at trial they would have to prove the pseudoscience.

    Martin in reply to Neo. | August 2, 2023 at 12:33 pm

    Prove it to who? People that have been brainwashed all their lives to believe it. How do you think it will go with a jury in DC or NYC or any large city.

2smartforlibs | August 2, 2023 at 10:36 am

Liberal Playbook: If the left hates it, it will be stricken from history. If the left loves it in the end, not only will you be forced to accept it but you will love it too or the reeducation will continue.

    Peabody in reply to 2smartforlibs. | August 2, 2023 at 11:59 am

    “If the left hates it, it will be stricken from history.”

    You mean, like Burlington college—that little college in Vermont that Bernie’s wife ran into the ground?

smalltownoklahoman | August 2, 2023 at 11:05 am

Well of course the media, enviro”mental”ists, and elites are going to ignore the unique contribution from that volcanic eruption: it is something outside of their narrative and simply put we can’t control when and where volcanos erupt. Thus they can’t use it to advance their agenda of reducing much of humanity to grinding poverty whilst living in harmony (ha!) with nature.

    China and India pollute more than the rest of the world combined. Yet the eco-nuts only want the western countries to commit suicide

      CommoChief in reply to geronl. | August 2, 2023 at 5:10 pm

      The plan seems to be starving the 3rd world/developing Nations via food shortages due to not using fertilizer. The continued conflict in Ukraine and stupid ‘sanctions’ on Russian grain exports is speeding things along is a bonus in the view of the globalist cabal. They are happy to have the neocons offering an assist to their depopulation agenda.

Gas prices where I live in Iowa shot up 50 cents a gallon in just one week, from $3.39 per gallon to $3.89 per gallon.

smalltownoklahoman | August 2, 2023 at 11:39 am

Gas prices shooting up just in time for back to school! How many parents are going to skip attending their kids’ sports games because they can’t afford the extra gas to travel to away games?

If there is a clear violation of federal racketeering laws, truth in advertising laws and consumer protection laws then the DoJ would indict, not sue. But I digress.

The DoJ once sued police departments during the Obama/Holder years but did not seek monetary damages. Instead they took oversight (aka control) over the departments and, in effect, were able to steer law enforcement policies to their liking. Hello take a knee to defund the police.

This is the same playbook — to seek oversight of the fossil fuel industry for compliance with climate change policies. Or, a complete fascist control over the energy sector.,

He who controls energy controls life.

    irv in reply to George S. | August 2, 2023 at 1:20 pm

    It’s an old con. The government files a huge lawsuit, then settles out of court for a “consent decree” that makes them do exactly what the eco-zealots want. Lawfare at its sleaziest.

    GWB in reply to George S. | August 2, 2023 at 1:47 pm

    It’s a religious takeover, using the power of the gov’t.
    I am pretty sure I’ve seen this movie before. Lots of times, as a matter of fact.

A very silly article. It’s well understood that water vapour has an impact on temps, its impact is included within climate models etc. It’s impact has been measured and modelled.

    Martin in reply to Fatkins. | August 2, 2023 at 12:34 pm

    So hydrogen cars won’t help much then.

    txvet2 in reply to Fatkins. | August 2, 2023 at 5:32 pm

    Per NASA, water vapor is a result of warming, not a cause.

      It is, and the irony of it is, water vapor is caused by warming, and its presence in the atmosphere holds heat in …

      … until it reaches the point where the air is super-saturated with water vapor, and the excess becomes visible in the form of clouds.

      Cloud cover blocks sunlight, which prevents warming. Thick clouds will block enough sunlight that the atmosphere starts to cool, reversing the warming that caused the excess water vapor to begin with.

      But they don’t talk about that part. Or any of the many, many other natural buffering (read: mitigating) and negative-feedback (read: effect-reversing) mechanisms in the Earth’s atmosphere. Without them, life would have died out millions of years ago.

      BierceAmbrose in reply to txvet2. | August 3, 2023 at 12:45 am

      Find the citation if you can. You may have to dig a bit behind whatever some NASA spokesthing is saying. Most of these effects are complex. Simple, single-variable statements are rarely sufficient.

      More CO2 does many things. More carbon in the biosphere does many more things.

      Archer is correct that positive-feedback claims should be approached skeptically… because they haven’t happened. Either the positive-feedback doesn’t happen, or there’s some limiting factor of counter force in play. That, or the first hominid that boiled a pot of water would have set off water vapor positive feedback, and we moderns wouldn’t be here, our ancestors having been par boiled.

      While we’re at it, the better thing to track is carbon in the biosphere. Pulling sequestered hydrocarbons out of the ground can change any number of balance points. You hear about some of them when the enviro-weenies get to wee-wee’d up. “And, and, and it’s gonna acidify the oceans, too!” So, when atmospheric CO2 goes up, it absorbs faster into the oceans. BTW, carbonates are minerals combined with … carbon compounds. Mostly form as sediment.

Once again, our two MA Senators are leading the stupidity parade.

I’m baffled by what they’re suing them for.
“Big oil has known for decades that they are fueling the climate crisis and lied to hide it,”
Ummm, how is “fueling the climate crisis” something illegal? You can’t racketeer if you’re not doing something illegal to start with. And it’s not illegal to lie (except to the feds) about something if you’re not defrauding people in doing so. (That’s a dangerous distinction to rely on, admittedly.)

Of course, all that is subordinate to the fact that the whole “climate crisis” is bullcarp to start with. We need a real religious war to solve this – gangs of roving Baptists with extra large rosaries that they use to beat Progressives to a pulp when they talk about the “climate crisis”. (I’m envisioning a Monty Python skit….)

BierceAmbrose | August 3, 2023 at 12:46 am

Why are legislators demanding a lawsuit, vs. making laws to get what they want.

Looks like it’s time to include another chapter in a revised version of my book, The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bulls#!t.