Should Big Oil Pick Up The Climate Change Bill?

Short Wave

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🗓️ 2 February 2022

⏱️ 12 minutes

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Summary

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether a Baltimore case against more than a dozen oil and gas companies will be heard in state or federal court. The city argues the companies are liable for the local costs of climate change. It wants the case heard in state court, which is governed by robust consumer protection laws. But industry lawyers are fighting hard to have it and more than 20 other similar lawsuits nationwide tried in federal court, where the oil and gas industry may be more likely to prevail.

NPR climate correspondent Rebecca Hersher, brings an update on the case, which went before the U.S. Supreme court last year. She explains how this pending decision may prove key to determining who pays for climate change.

Listen to the full Short Wave episode from last year about this case here: n.pr/3gcJDOk

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Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to shortwave from NPR.
0:04.6	The judges of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
0:08.4	O.A. O.A. O.A.
0:10.6	Hey, Lauren.
0:11.4	Hi, Becky.
0:12.2	For the court is now sitting by saying the United States and the honorable court.
0:17.4	So, Becky, what court are we visiting?
0:20.4	This is the fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia.
0:23.9	And this is a case that they heard last week.
0:26.1	Morning, counsel.
0:27.3	So, the judges were considering a case that we've actually talked about here on shortwave.
0:31.9	And it's a case about climate change and who should pay for the cost of a hotter earth?
0:37.3	Because it's really expensive to rebuild after a hurricane or a wildfire, for example,
0:42.7	or to upgrade infrastructure like roads and sewers to withstand a more extreme climate.
0:48.2	All that costs billions of dollars.
0:50.6	And the question in this case is should the taxpayers of cities and states and counties
0:55.7	foot that bill or should companies also chip in, particularly oil and gas companies?
1:02.1	Right.
1:02.8	This is an example of something called a climate liability lawsuit.
1:07.5	Is this the one that went to the Supreme Court last year?
1:10.4	Yes, exactly.
1:11.6	And we did a shortwave episode last year all about the case and why it ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
	...

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