Litigious climate activists are pursuing public nuisance lawsuits against industries that improve our lives, aiming to shut them down through the courts rather than innovation. This could have severe consequences, potentially pushing us back into a non-modern society where essential conveniences like running water and electricity are no longer accessible.
As a working mom of two under two, I shudder to think how women managed their daily lives before the advent of modern conveniences like refrigeration, running water, and dishwashers. Without these, my ability to work and enjoy time with my family would be severely compromised.
Climate Activists' Lawsuits Could End Modern Conveniences
However, litigious climate activists are quietly pushing us toward enduring such hardships through public nuisance lawsuits. These lawsuits target companies in industries that are crucial to our modern way of life, such as energy, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. The goal is not to improve or replace these industries with more sustainable alternatives but to shut them down entirely.
This is incredibly harmful for the millions who rely on these industries. Unlike innovation, which gradually improves or replaces obsolete technologies, court-ordered damages decimate industries without providing viable alternatives.
Climate Activists' Lawsuits Could End Modern Conveniences
One particularly concerning case is Sunoco v. Honolulu, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court. In this case, Honolulu sued major energy companies, claiming that their operations contribute to climate change, which harms the city. The energy companies face billions in damages.
The Hawaii Supreme Court ruled that Honolulu could bring this type of lawsuit in state court, putting immense pressure on the energy companies to settle. However, the companies are seeking review by the Supreme Court, arguing that localities do not have the authority to regulate global climate change.
Climate Activists' Lawsuits Could End Modern Conveniences
If individual cities were granted this authority, it would violate our federal-state system. Moreover, it would add billions in costs to the energy industry, potentially eliminating fossil fuels as an energy source entirely.
Even if we assume that ending fossil fuels is desirable, pursuing this goal through public nuisance lawsuits is not the solution. At the moment, we rely heavily on fossil fuels for electricity, transportation, and food production. Shutting them down prematurely would have devastating consequences.
Industries cannot and will not operate without a profit. If energy companies face unending lawsuits, they will be forced to close their operations. This would not only result in higher energy prices but also disrupt countless other industries that rely on fossil fuels.
Public nuisance lawsuits are not limited to energy companies. Activists are also targeting plastics, pharmaceuticals, and other essential industries. By bypassing the democratic process and stifling innovation, these lawsuits threaten to return us to a non-modern society.
I reject the idea of being forced into a cavewoman lifestyle by trial lawyers and their out-of-touch clients. I need a reliable vehicle, affordable groceries, and a washing machine that works.
Therefore, I urge the Supreme Court to take up Sunoco v. Honolulu and end the unconstitutional overreach by liberal localities. These lawsuits seek to force Americans to radically alter their lifestyles without their consent, and we must not allow them to succeed.
