The global warming crusaders are facing a wave of setbacks. Despite billions poured into green energy, the world consumed more fossil fuels than ever last year. The electric vehicle push is stalling, solar and wind remain niche energy sources, and green candidates faltered in recent European elections due to voter fatigue over rising prices associated with green policies. Now, the environmental movement is turning to the courts, joining forces with trial lawyers to wage war on fossil fuels.
One absurd lawsuit in Hawaii saw 13 teenagers sue the state over its fossil fuel use. Environmental law firms claim Hawaii’s natural resources are threatened by CO2 emissions, overlooking China’s far greater contribution to the issue. The settlement mandates the state’s transition away from fossil fuels by 2045 and establishes a precedent for future lawsuits. This decision is deeply flawed: How can teenagers claim harm from fossil fuels, and how can an island paradise reliant on tourism thrive without fossil fuels?
This legal strategy has spread, with a judge ruling that Montana violated its constitution by approving fossil fuel projects without addressing climate change. Vermont is facing lawsuits for not abolishing fossil fuels, and Massachusetts is suing ExxonMobil over weather conditions. Thirty-two cases have been filed against energy companies, accusing them of undermining climate science. These lawsuits, mirroring the tobacco lawsuits of the past, could effectively outlaw fossil fuels through backdoor legal maneuvers.
However, these lawsuits ignore the catastrophic economic ramifications of eliminating fossil fuels. Abolishing air conditioning, which heavily relies on fossil fuels, would endanger countless lives. Millions of jobs would be lost, and hospitals, schools, and homes could face widespread blackouts. Fossil fuels, despite their environmental impact, have dramatically improved lives, making Americans wealthier, safer, and healthier. The claim that Hawaii’s weather would improve without fossil fuels is unsubstantiated. It’s alarming that judges may confiscate profits from energy companies based on unproven claims, ignoring the substantial benefits fossil fuels have brought to humanity.
