The climate crazies and their trial lawyer friends have a new strategy for global warming lawsuits. They can’t win their nuisance lawsuits in federal court, so they want to sue in state courts. To do so, they have to target small local businesses, like independently-owned gas stations.
The Free Beacon reports:
Last summer, the leaders of Multnomah County—the liberal Oregon enclave that includes most of Portland—filed a high-profile lawsuit seeking $1.5 billion in damages from the world’s top oil and gas producers…
One defendant included in the county’s complaint, Space Age Fuel, is not among “the world’s largest oil companies.”
“Space Age is a small, family-owned and operated Oregon business. I started the company with my father, Hal Pliska, in 1982,” Pliska said in his declaration. “Space Age is an independent marketer and seller of fuel products.”…
Should Multnomah County succeed in its effort to argue its suit in state court, the precedent could hurt everyday Americans who rely on local gas stations. Attorneys behind the climate suits can earn millions if they’re successful, providing plenty of incentive to target local companies with expensive litigation.
The lawsuit is especially absurd because to win in court, you have to show some kind of “harm” from the actions of the defendants. How can producing and delivering low cost and reliable energy be a harm to the residents of Multnomah County?
