Activists Sideline Congress, Employ Courts in Push to Restrict Fossil Fuels
WASHINGTON — With the planet warming and a storm of legal battles swirling, recent lawsuits in state courts have brought into focus a fierce debate over the role of the judiciary in climate change policy. Some activists and local governments argue that, faced with congressional inaction and persistent global emissions, pursuing legal action against oil companies may be an effective route to trigger change. This strategy has drawn criticism from various quarters, who claim it circumvents the democratic process and could saddle U.S. companies with disproportionate blame for global greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change, historically … Read more