Following reports in 2015 from InsideClimate News and the LA Times, the actions of major fossil fuel companies have come under serious scrutiny. Last week, Exxon was brought to trial over allegedly lying to its shareholders in one of the first climate change lawsuits to make it to trial.

According to a 2017 Harvard study, Exxon’s internal research and communications recognized the human-caused nature of Climate Change. At the same time, advertisements taken out in the New York Times worked very hard to cast doubt on the science that would mean severe losses for a company profiting from the manufacture of GHGs. These are the same tactics used by the Tobacco industry as science began to conclude the significant dangers associated with its product.

The current trial in New York could pave the way for more pending climate lawsuits to be tried in court. These would pose a huge problem for the Big Oil industry among others. Various groups, including youth activists, have brought lawsuits against state and federal governments in an attempt to force environmental protections. Exxon pushes back against these suits, claiming they are brought by anti-fossil fuel political interests. That may very well be the case, and in my opinion, we’ll all be better off if we get tough on an industry that’s been continuously working to profit from polluting for decades.