Editorial: California's lawsuit against Big Oil could help end decades of climate lies

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

51% : The suit cites examples from internal studies and documents, advertising, marketing and the industry's use of front groups, fringe scientists and public relations campaigns to manufacture doubt in the minds of the public.
49% : For example, it urges them to reduce their carbon footprints to allow oil companies to continue to sell these polluting products for as long as possible.
47% : The state's 135-page complaint lays out in exacting detail what is a story of oil industry obfuscation of its scientific knowledge and role in fueling the climate crisis.
46% : That's important because the fossil fuel industry's disinformation tactics are ever-evolving, morphing from outright denial years ago to more sophisticated greenwashing today that misleads consumers by portraying oil companies and their products as environmentally sustainable.
44% : Oil companies knew as far back as the 1950s that their products endangered the planet, the complaint says, but instead of warning the public, they engaged in a disinformation campaign targeting the science underpinning climate change and solutions needed to address it.
41% : And its climate deception remains one of the biggest barriers to action to cut planet-warming emissions, because it muddles public perception and gives politicians cover to stick with policies that prolong reliance on fossil fuels.
41% : The lawsuit is a remarkable development not only because California is the largest economy yet to take the industry to court over its deception, but also because the state was built on oil extraction a century ago and remains a top producer to this day.
36% : But it's notable that the state is also trying to prevent oil companies from continuing to make false or misleading statements about their role in overheating the planet.

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