Political Quotes

“Mr. President, in California, several counties and cities are suing the big oil companies to hold them liable for the damages that climate change is causing to the infrastructure out there. As judges consider these cases, one thing they will be asked to keep in mind is Big Oil's history of deception and lies. A group of scientific experts filed this friend-of-the-court brief out in the Ninth Circuit, carefully charting that history, that pattern of deception and lies. The group of scholars and scientists chronicled how the fossil fuel companies had actual knowledge of the risks of their products and had taken ``proactive steps to conceal their knowledge and discredit climate science'' while at the same time taking steps based on that science to protect their own assets from the impacts of climate change. It is a 51-page document, so let me cut to the chase. Big Oil knew for a very long time that the production and burning of fossil fuels would be disastrous for the planet. Yet they did everything in their power to confuse the public, undermine the scientific evidence of the dangers, and prevent action to stave off this worldwide problem. The brief makes a fascinating read. Here are some highlights. Way back in 1959, when I was a kid and Dwight Eisenhower was President, Columbia University held a symposium attended by oil industry executives to mark the 100th anniversary of the petroleum industry. At that event, the legendary Dr.…”