Five of the biggest oil firms in the world, including Chevron and BP, are currently being sued by the American seaside cities Oakland and San Francisco. This suing is for Big Oil to pay for the cost of sea walls and other infrastructure against the rise of sea levels. The cities claim the oil companies have made huge profits from selling fossil fuels despite being aware of their enormous threat to society, in terms of fossil-fuel driven global warming and faster sea level rise.
After looking at cigarette sales within the tobacco industry, even though health risks were known, city attorneys have filed individual civil lawsuits against the specified oil companies. According to the attorneys, the companies have harmed climate change which will undoubtedly affect both cities. Lawyers have claimed the required sum to file the lawsuit, is expected to be billions of dollars. Both lawsuits ask the court to set up an "abatement fund" to pay for the infrastructure needed for both cities to adapt to the effects of global warming like rising sea levels. Big Oil is being blamed for this, for consciously causing climate change which could lead to buildings worth billions of dollars (such as San Francisco Ferry Building) being destroyed.
Considering the recent surge of hurricanes, and the Bay Area's extremely warm weather this month, city attorneys are confident they are doing the right thing in now filing lawsuits against Big Oil. However, Chevron's Melissa Ritchie thinks limiting global warming requires worldwide action and involvement, hence the lawsuits will not improve the fight against climate change. Royal Dutch Shell believe that decent "government policy" and a change in culture are required, in order for low-carbon choices for businesses and consumers to be made. Global warming, in Shell's opinion is not a high priority economically etc.
San Francisco's city attorney, Dennis Herrera, claimed the oil companies had been putting both cities under threat while gaining their substantial profits. Their multimillion-dollar disinformation campaign, denying the existence of global warming and the fact their oil is adding to this problem, was clear to everyone including their own staff. Due to global warming threatening ecosystems, buildings, humans and animals, there is undoubtedly a legal case for compensation according to Oakland's city attorney Barbara Parker. Harm to both cities will become worse, due to Big Oil's products, and the law shows that Big Oil are definitely responsible.
These lawsuits closely mirror Marin and San Mateo counties' and San Diego County's City of Imperial Beach's lawsuit, which was filed in July, against more than 30 gas, oil and coal companies who were accused of causing environmental problems for almost 50 years. Like tobacco companies who were sued in the 1980s, Big Oil made an ongoing so-called annoyance which now could damage lives and property.
Described as an "irreversible" problem, with sea levels already having risen in San Francisco Bay and expected to rise a further 10ft along the city's coastline by 2100, almost $50 billion of property is at risk of being destroyed.
