Author: Julia Ryder

Op- Ed by Montana Health and Climate

Published in the

• Billings Gazette
• Montana Standard
• Missoulian
• Helena Independent

Currently, there is an escalating push to put one of the most powerful and moneyed industries above the law. After months of lobbying and backroom deals, legislation has been introduced in Congress that aims to shield fossil fuel companies from any laws or lawsuits that would hold them accountable for their role in the climate crisis. Given what has been documented about the fossil fuel industry, this latest effort to shield companies from legal accountability raises serious concerns. No industry should be exempt from the legal standards we apply to everyone else.

Oil companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron and BP knew in the 1970s that their fossil fuel products were actively harming the environment — and they did nothing about it.

Instead, fossil fuel companies spent decades casting doubt on the scientific consensus surrounding climate change despite internal research indicating that continued fossil fuel use would contribute to significant environmental harm.

We see the fallout of those lies every day, from more extreme weather events destroying and displacing communities, to disruptions to our agricultural growing seasons and food systems.

In the medical field, we see how worsening air pollution has been linked to higher rates of neurological diseases and asthma. We see how emergency rooms are overburdened during unprecedented heat waves that are becoming increasingly common. Big Oil companies knew their products would fuel the chaos we’re experiencing, and now they want to ensure they are never held responsible for it.