(WASHINGTON, D.C.)— Today, Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, held a hearing entitled, “Examining the Oil Industry’s Efforts to Suppress the Truth about Climate Change.”
TAKEAWAYS
- Former Exxon-affiliated scientists Drs. Martin Hoffert and Ed Garvey testified that Exxon knew the reality of climate change as early as the 1970s, but denied that reality to the public. Dr. Hoffert testified that Exxon’s actions were “immoral” and “greatly set back efforts to address climate change.”
- Dr. Naomi Oreskes explained that there was a “systematic discrepancy” between Exxon’s public statements and its science, such that Exxon’s misleading advertisements have distorted democracy and denied the American people “accurate information about a matter that affects our lives, our liberties, and our property.”
- Dr. Mustafa Ali testified that climate change “is a global and domestic problem and our most vulnerable communities are often hit first and worst.” He also questioned the seriousness of the oil industry’s supposed commitment to addressing this problem.
- Ms. Sharon Eubanks asserted that the oil industry’s deception campaign, which mirrored that of the tobacco industry, could constitute “actionable fraud” under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
WITNESSES
Vice President, Environmental Justice Climate and Community Revitalization
National Wildlife Federation
Former Exxon Scientist
Former Exxon Consultant
Professor Emeritus, Physics
New York University
Professor, History of Science
Affiliated Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences
Harvard University
Of Counsel
Henderson Law Firm, PLLC
Mandy Gunasekara (minority witness)
Founder, Energy 45
Senior Fellow, Life: Powered Project
VIDEOS
Click here to watch Chairman Raskin’s opening statement.
Click here to watch Rep. Pressley’s question line.
Click here to watch Rep. Gomez’s question line.
Click here to watch Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s question line.
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