Fossil fuel industry needs to be held accountable
This is the opinion of Nicole Lefebvre, CSB senior.
On Oct. 28, the U.S. House Oversight Committee held a hearing to examine the deception and misinformation that fossil fuel industries have contributed to, as well as their role in global warming. Fossil fuel companies in Minnesota have been deceiving the public for 40 years.
Billions of dollars have been invested in misinformation campaigns to lie to the public, politicians and the media. Companies have paid scientists to produce misleading data and ads have been run for decades to protect their profits. $2.4 trillion has been pocketed by the top oil companies as a result of these tactics.
Many Minnesotans may not realize the effects that fossil fuels have on their community. We have just experienced the hottest June on record, hunting seasons are changing and extreme weather events are causing problems for wild rice crops. Minnesotans have had to pay $1.2 billion in annual health and environmental damages due to climate change. In the broadest terms, fossil fuels burn large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air, making this industry the worst contributor to climate change. Companies including ExxonMobil, American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries and Flint Hills Resources need to be held accountable for their actions in Minnesota.
This is my call to action: do not let companies like these get away with the deception they have been causing for four decades. Research MN350’s Big Deception campaign to get involved. Cut down on fossil fuels, simple acts can go a long way if you choose to do them as a community. I challenge you to tell one person you know about what you have learned about the deception of oil industries in Minnesota, and then challenge that person to tell another.
This movement needs the power of people to come together and fight for change. This is the change that you, your children and your grandchildren need if we want to keep existing in this world. Be activists for the climate.
Accountability is the main goal for this campaign; data shows that these companies have known what they have been doing for 40 years. Countless Minnesotans have been affected by climate change, and ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries and Flint Hills Resources need to take responsibility. Again, I ask you to educate yourself further, educate your community and act now.
