The United States Supreme Court began its new term Monday, hearing arguments on a climate case brought by Boulder.
Boulder is suing ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy, arguing the companies deceived people about the harms of fossil fuels and contributed to disasters that cost Boulder a lot of time and money.
In 2018, Boulder County sued the giant energy companies with a lawsuit arguing they and a trade group knew decades ago that fossil fuels would hurt the environment. The dispute could have ramifications far beyond the climate, to other areas where states are trying to hold companies accountable for their alleged harms to local communities.
Is there any legal precedent? Could this case potentially lead to the acknowledgment that human-caused climate change is real? Why did Justice Alito recuse himself from the case?
Marty Lenz asked these questions and got answers from Annecoos Wiersema, an expert in international environmental law and an Associate Dean at the Sturm College of Law with the University of Denver.
