The case for prosecuting fossil fuel companies for homicide
"In today’s thinking, tort law—the law of civil wrongs—seeks economically efficient outcomes: The question is about whether one party should give another some money. Criminal law, by contrast, is concerned with society’s fundamental values—with morality. It answers whether conduct is permissible or forbidden. Where tort law prices misconduct, criminal law prohibits it.
" If someone substantially contributes to or accelerates a death, that counts as “causing” it. If they did so intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly, that counts as “culpable mental state.” "
Well, #ExxonKnew. #ShellKnew. They all knew, very early on and with astonishing accuracy, what the burning of their product will do. They not only kept on selling the product at great profit, they lied about it.
"A coalition of oil and car manufacturing interests in 1954 funded Keeling’s earliest work in measuring CO2 levels across the western US, the documents reveal.
Experts say the documents show the fossil fuel industry had intimate involvement in the inception of modern climate science, along with its warnings of the severe harm #ClimateChange will wreak, only to then publicly deny this science for decades and fund ongoing efforts to delay action on the climate crisis."
We know that #ExxonKnew, and #ShellKnew about climate change at a very early stage, but now it transpires that car manufacturers and banks also knew.
"A total of 18 automotive companies, including Ford, Chrysler and General Motors, gave money to the foundation. Other entities, including banks and retailers, also contributed funding."