Maine Attorney General Aaron M. Frey announced in November that he filed a lawsuit against several dirty energy companies for hiding the "irreversible, catastrophic" effects of dirty fuels.
The Hill reported that the companies included Exxon, Shell, Chevron, BP, Sunoco, and the American Petroleum Institute. It also stated that Maine is the ninth state to sue fossil fuel companies to hold them accountable.
While there is much work to be done to ensure the suit goes to trial, this is another step forward in the fight to protect our health and the environment's health.
This information is firmly in the public's eye. More people than before are now aware that ExxonMobil estimated the harmful impacts dirty fuels would have on the environment in the late 1970s. Lawsuits like Frey's make issues like this even more difficult to ignore.
There is no denying the visible effects of air pollution and the changing climate, either. According to the World Health Organization, in 2023, "people were exposed to, on average, an unprecedented 50 more days of health-threatening temperatures than expected without climate change."
Frey's action brings us closer to a world where those days are not so common.
In the original statement about Frey's lawsuit, Maine Gov. Janet Mills spoke in favor of it, saying, "Last winter's devastating storms are just further proof that climate change is harming our lives, our health, and our economy – and it is time for the fossil fuel industry to be held responsible."
According to News Center Maine, the "Grinch Storm," which occurred before Christmas in 2023, caused 400,000 people to lose power and brought extreme flooding.
Turning toward renewable energy sources would not only reduce the frequency of storms like those, but it also would reduce the money we spend on rebuilding communities after "once-in-a-century" storms. It would also mean our children would have cleaner air to breathe and be able to live healthier lives.
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One thing is for certain: Climate-centered action has the power to save lives.
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