Issues@Hand

AFA initiatives, Christian activism, news briefs

September 2018 – Lawsuits against BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Royal Dutch Shell have been thrown out by U.S. Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California

The decision came on June 25 after Alsup had convened some of the world’s top authorities on climate change in an effort to better understand the scientific causes of global warming.

The Associated Press reported that the “hearing covered topics including the history of climate change research, carbon dioxide’s role as a greenhouse gas, melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather.”

These lawsuits, as well as similar ones, originated from several cities, including San Francisco, Oakland, and New York.

Advocates of these legal actions argued that the oil companies create problems for the public and should be forced to undergo construction projects, such as sea walls, to prevent further nuisances.

However, Judge Alsup ruled, “The problem deserves a solution on a more vast scale than can be supplied by a district judge or jury.”

ap.org, 6/25/18