- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- October 20, 2023
New Jersey AG: Releasing Contract With Sher Edling Could Reveal “Pressure Points” Where “Incentives Differ”
Last October, New Jersey’s brand-new Attorney General Matt Platkin filed a climate lawsuit following years of activist pressure in the state.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- October 19, 2023
Déjà Vu, Again (Again): Climate Litigation Mill Moves to New Target
When NPR’s Rockefeller-funded Climate Desk article “broke” the news on a new report this week, it took absolutely no time at all to connect the dots to the usual anti-fossil fuel crew behind the effort.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- October 12, 2023
As Lawmakers Probe Sher Edling, New Questions Arise Around the Firm’s “Informal Advisory Committee”
As senior lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue to probe Sher Edling’s financing and consulting relationships, new evidence suggests yet another “advisor” has closer ties to the firm than previously revealed.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 16, 2023
Energy-Starved California Files Climate Lawsuit Against U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Companies: Here’s What to Know
Four years after the climate lawsuit pushed by the New York Attorney General’s office was dealt a comprehensive defeat, California is putting forward its own case based on the same debunked theory that completely fell apart for Eric Schneiderman all those years ago – ironically, on New York’s turf and apparently ignorant that the Empire State’s loss even happened.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 15, 2023
Oversight Hearing Puts Spotlight on Climate Litigation Financing
In a wide-ranging, nearly four-hour hearing this Wednesday, members of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform took a deep dive into the shadowy third-party litigation financing industry and the ethical issues that arise when well-funded activists manipulate the civil justice system.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 12, 2023
A Congressional Hearing Will Shine a Light on Litigation Financing – Climate Litigation Could Be a Great Place to Start
This Wednesday, the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability will hold a hearing to shine a light on the lack of oversight and ethics rules that allow billionaires to push political agendas through the civil justice system with little to no transparency.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- August 7, 2023
National Climate Litigation Campaign Targets Pennsylvania, Faces Uphill Battle
A wealthy national anti-fossil fuel organization that recruits municipal and state plaintiffs to file lawsuits against energy companies for the effects of climate change now appears to have its sights on Pennsylvania, America’s second largest natural gas producing state.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- July 12, 2023
Oregon County Climate Lawsuit Blasted as “Fantastical” and Based on “Scientific Unknowns”
The reviews on the climate lawsuit filed last month by Multnomah County, Oregon are in, and they aren’t pretty. The lawsuit, which attempts to blame a number of energy companies for the effects of the 2021 heat dome extreme weather event that hit Portland and the surrounding region, has been met with significant skepticism from across the political spectrum.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 24, 2023
With Procedural Question Answered, Climate Lawsuits Face Uphill Battle on Merits
The U.S. Supreme Court this morning opted out of providing guidance on whether climate lawsuits against energy companies should progress in federal court, thereby allowing them to continue on their paths to state courts across the country.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 20, 2023
What They’re Saying: SCOTUS Should Review “Inappropriate” Use of State Law in Climate Cases
With the Supreme Court’s decision on whether it will review the jurisdictional question present in Colorado municipalities’ climate lawsuit expected as soon as Monday, legal scholars, former legislators, and attorneys general are encouraging the high court to take up the case and prevent climate suits from moving forward in state courts.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 19, 2023
SCOTUS To Discuss Jurisdiction Question in Climate Cases on Friday
The climate litigation campaign faces a pivotal moment this Friday when the U.S. Supreme Court will discuss whether it will review a key jurisdictional question that has defined the cases for years, with an announcement on their decision expected as soon as Monday.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 18, 2023
New Jersey Saga Part II: Emails Reveal CCI “Really Impressed” By NJ Climate Lawsuit Rollout
This blog is the second in a three-part series highlighting new revelations in New Jersey that shed further light on the climate litigation campaign.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 10, 2023
Momentum Builds for SCOTUS To Take Up Climate Case As the Clock Ticks
Energy companies shot back at the Biden administration’s decision to side with cities and states suing the industry over climate change last week, calling the federal government’s 180 move to support state jurisdiction “shot through with flaws” and driven by “a desire to signal virtue to political bedfellows,” as E&E News reports.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 5, 2023
Biden NHTSA Nominee Bundled Funds from Leonardo DiCaprio, Others for Climate Litigation
Last week, Fox News reported that Ann Carlson – former UCLA environmental law professor and a primary fundraiser for climate lawsuits – has been nominated by President Biden to serve as Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 31, 2023
New Hampshire Rejects CCI-Sponsored Cliamte Litigation Resolution
Earlier this month, the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted against a measure that would have encouraged state leaders to sue American energy companies over climate change damages.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 24, 2023
Appellate Judge Lays Out Compelling Case for Why Supreme Court Needs to Get Involved in Climate Litigation Cases
As petitions asking the U.S. Supreme Court to review whether climate lawsuits against American energy companies belong in federal or state court continue to stack up, a federal appellate judge has called on the high court to get involved.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 21, 2023
New Jersey Saga Part I: New Emails Reveal Center for Climate Integrity’s “Extra Set of Hands” Playbook
This blog is the first of a three-part series highlighting new revelations in New Jersey that shed further light on the climate litigation campaign.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 17, 2023
Biden Justice Dept. Sides With Activists on Key Jurisdictional Question Related to Climate Litigation
Supreme Court must now decide whether to follow the law and protect consumers – or follow politicized opinion handed down by Biden DOJ On Thursday, the Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) issued its long-awaited amicus brief on whether the Supreme Court should rule on a core jurisdictional question in the City and County of Boulder and the County of San Miguel’s climate lawsuit, and in dozens of other similar lawsuits across the country.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- January 12, 2023
New Oreskes Paper Comes Clean on Linkage to Notorious Climate Lawsuit Mill
Two of the main drivers of the #ExxonKnew campaign are back with yet another study, this time crediting the company for being on target with climate model predictions.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- October 11, 2022
Five Key Questions Ahead of President Biden’s Visit to Colorado
On Wednesday, President Biden will travel to Colorado to attend an event at Camp Hale with Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and other elected officials where he is expected to designate a new national monument and to tout the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Economy Act.“Green Amendment,” Proposition 2, Will Only Enrich Lawyers
Tom ReynoldsCo-Founder of Dryden Safe Energy Coalition … … [Editor’s Note: Proposition 2, a proposed “Green Amendment” to the New York State Constitution will only enrich greedy trial lawyers while depriving New Yorkers of their rights] Hunters and farmers are environmentalists and conservationists for the sake of the environment and not for power and control.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- July 14, 2021
Boulder Officials: Actually, Our Climate Lawsuit is About Driving “Systems-Level Change”
Three years ago, when the City and County of Boulder and the County of San Miguel introduced its climate lawsuit, the municipalities’ elected leaders made it unmistakably clear that their case was solely about seeking damages to pay for the costs associated with climate change.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- May 12, 2021
Texas Governor: Climate Litigation Is An “Abusive” Use of the Law
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has urged his state’s Supreme Court to accept a case that seeks to look into constitutional violations and conspiracy potentially committed by environmental plaintiffs’ attorney Matt Pawa and several California municipal officials suing energy companies for their alleged responsibility for climate change impacts.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- January 27, 2021
Uncovered Documents Show Out-of-State Lawyers Stand to Make Millions on Minnesota Climate Lawsuit
New documents uncovered through an open records request provide fresh details about the millions of dollars a San Francisco law firm stands to gain if it prevails in a controversial climate lawsuit targeting oil and gas companies.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- January 19, 2021
Key Takeaways from the SCOTUS Baltimore Climate Case Hearing
Today’s arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court in the City of Baltimore’s climate litigation case went as both parties expected – focused on an arcane procedural rule.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- October 16, 2020
Research Chief Delivers Coup de Grâce Response to Harvard Researchers’ Debunked #ExxonKnew Paper
Circular arguments tend to occur when a speaker cherry picks information with the sole intent of arriving at a predetermined set of conclusions.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 10, 2020
The Nationally Coordinated Climate Litigation Campaign Comes to Delaware
On Tuesday, the climate litigation campaign organized by plaintiffs’ lawyers and activists across the country enlisted its newest ally when Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings announced a public nuisance lawsuit against major energy companies over climate change impacts.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 3, 2020
Key Documents Raise Troubling Questions About Money Behind Hoboken Climate Lawsuit
A review of key documents associated with the climate lawsuit filed by the city of Hoboken against major energy producers raise some big questions about the relationship between government leaders, one of the city’s retained law firms and a wealthy foundation that is paying for the case to proceed.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 2, 2020
Four Things To Know About Hoboken’s New Climate Lawsuit
The city of Hoboken, New Jersey joined the so far fruitless climate litigation campaign on Wednesday, filing a lawsuit against ExxonMobil, Shell, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and the American Petroleum Institute.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- August 20, 2020
Hawai’i County Backtracks on Climate Lawsuit, Admits Would Do It For the Money
Local media is reporting that Hawai’i County is starting to backtrack on bringing a climate lawsuit against energy companies because similar cases around the country have been decisively defeated.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- August 18, 2020
The Scope of Appellate Review and the Federal Officer Question: What They Are and Why They Matter
Energy companies targeted by public nuisance lawsuits recently asked the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to stay a mandate that would allow two California municipalities’ cases to proceed in state court, explaining that they plan to file a petition before the United States Supreme Court that will “raise a substantial question that has divided the circuits.”- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- August 6, 2020
DOJ Urges Court to Reconsider Oakland’s Climate Case
The U.S. federal government is pushing the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reconsider a ruling that revived Oakland and San Francisco’s lawsuits targeting energy companies for the alleged costs of climate change.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- July 24, 2020
Seeking Big Payouts, Baseless Litigation Campaign Against Louisiana Energy Producers Harms State Economy
Plaintiffs’ attorneys, with the help of some powerful allies in government, have waged a seven-year litigation campaign against the Louisiana oil and natural gas industry, filing forty-three lawsuits on behalf of local governments seeking to blame the industry for coastal erosion.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- June 19, 2020
Texas Court Criticizes Climate “Lawfare” Against Energy Producers
On Thursday, an intermediate appellate court in Texas reluctantly denied a petition filed by ExxonMobil that sought pre-suit discovery of attorney Matt Pawa and the California municipalities bringing public nuisance lawsuits against the company for the alleged damages caused by climate change.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- May 27, 2020
Ninth Circuit Sends Oakland’s Climate Case Back to District Court
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued two rulings in favor of California municipalities that are suing energy companies for alleged costs of combating climate change, allowing one case to proceed in state court while reversing the dismissal of another.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 16, 2020
New Climate Litigation Campaign Touts Failed Strategies From Failed Presidential Candidate
A new activist campaign has popped up seeking to promote climate litigation against major energy producers, but its leaders aren’t disclosing their donors and they’re endorsing a legal strategy that’s already a proven failure.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- November 13, 2019
Elizabeth Warren’s Plan to Toss Out the First Amendment to Eliminate Oil and Gas
Throughout her campaign, Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren has made dismantling the oil and natural gas sector a hallmark of her policy agenda.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- September 12, 2019
Activist Blog Dresses Up a Press Release in Desperate Bid for Attention on #ExxonKnew
If you are looking for a press release from supporters of the New York Attorney General on the upcoming #ExxonKnew trial, look no further than Dana Drugmand’s recent piece in Climate Liability News.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- July 26, 2019
Judge’s Ruling in Rhode Island Suit Against Fossil Fuels Raises Questions
Judge William Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island remanded Rhode Island’s lawsuit targeting 21 fossil fuel companies to state court on Monday.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- June 21, 2019
Climate Costs Report is Just Another Rockefeller-Funded Climate Litigation Campaign Tactic
A new report by the Center for Climate Integrity (CCI) calculating the costs of adapting to sea level rise is little more than a poorly masked public relations endeavor, seeking to fuel the campaign pressuring cities across the United States into pursuing litigation against energy companies.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- May 3, 2019
‘I Believe in Suing Everybody:’ Activists Double Down on Climate Litigation
Last year wasn’t great for lawyers or environmentalists in the courts. Even though cities, counties, and one fishermen’s association filed lawsuits against major energy companies, none of the cases have gotten very far in the court system and many were thrown out entirely.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 25, 2019
More on Big Green and the Big Money Behind the Big Green Curtain
... … … Big Green, Inc. outspends industry by a very wide margin in grass-roots lobbying and gets away with it by using charitable tax status to hide the spending.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- April 4, 2019
Toronto Councilor’s Climate Litigation Motion Threatens Canadian “National Unity”
Climate litigation in Canada is hitting more roadblocks after Mike Layton, a member of the Toronto city council, introduced a motion that asks the city to track costs related to climate change and study legal strategies to “recover costs” from energy companies.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 28, 2019
New Reports Offer Solutions to Protect Against “Recent Surge” of Climate Liability Lawsuits
The U.S. Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) recently released two reports examining the impacts of climate liability lawsuits in the United States. Waking- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 23, 2019
CANADIAN BUSINESS GROUPS CONDEMN VICTORIA’S DIVISIVE CLIMATE LITIGATION PUSH
Two associations representing business interests in the Canadian city of Victoria recently wrote letters to the city’s mayor, Lisa Helps, asking her to back away from a resolution calling for a class-action lawsuit from local municipalities demanding payment for climate related damages to local infrastructure.- Joe Barone, Shale Directories
- Blog
- March 20, 2019