I started this blog and a Facebook Page about a year ago, with an audience of about 10 followers (shout out to Nene, Marian, Barbara, Amber and all of you wonderful readers). While I’d like to say “…and I’ve never looked back,” that’s not exactly true. In fact, I’m always looking back to see how we’re doing. There have been a lot of victories and a few disappointments. One thing is sure – things are changing, and for the better. It was about a year ago that I filed my request with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, asking the Office of the Prosecutor to open an investigation into the fossil fuel industry for crimes against humanity and crimes of aggression. Six months into that, the ICC decided against proceeding further, although they maintain the right to pick it back up at any time. I’ve also been researching possible RICO (racketeering) prosecution against US fossil fuel companies a la the Master Settlement Agreement against the tobacco industry. To be honest, it would take a small army to proceed with that since I’m not a lawyer, and many others are closing in on the fossil fuel industry to the point that I’m starting to think the “cavalry” has arrived, more or less.

As I’ve written before, the fossil fuel industry definitely, without a doubt, sees the writing on the wall regarding RICO-type charges being brought against it, and with each new revelation and investigation by awesome organizations (like Desmoglog, The Guardian, and the Open Society Foundation, to name a few), they ramp up their efforts and attacks on a) the science, b) the scientists, and c) politicians and those who advocate for renewable energy. This just screams, “we’re in trouble and we know it.”

I’m pasting (below) an email I received tonight from Brad Johnson of Climate Hawks Vote. This type of movement takes a LOT of effort, time (timing?), and dedication. These are the “coattails,” worth their weight in gold, that we should all jump on. They absolutely deserve our attention and collective support because what they’ve got here is definitely the first part of the equation if we’re going to even begin to fight climate change.  By the way, “CFACT” is Marc Morano and Climate Depot and “CEI” is the Competitive Enterprise Institute:

Thank you for signing the petition calling on Attorney General Loretta Lynch to launch a RICO investigation of ExxonMobil’s climate deception. With your help, we’ve already been mentioned by Daily Kos, Crooks and Liars, Inside Climate News, and the Guardian. Prominent climate scientists and climate activists have signed, and Credo Action has joined forces with us.

Now the fossil-funded GOP is fighting back. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the climate denier running the House Science Committee, has launched an investigation – not of Exxon Mobil and its decades-long warfare against climate science – but of one of the climate scientists who called for a RICO investigation of the fossil fuel industry. This act of intimidation was spurred by operatives at CFACT and CEI — two organizations that are part of the Exxon denial network. As is Rep. Smith, who has received at least $630,597 in campaign contributions from the oil & gas industry, $24,320 of which from Exxon Mobil.

We’re getting notice, but it’s critical that we get 5000 signatures before we deliver the petition to AG Lynch. If we get signatures from enough states, we can even reach out to state Attorneys General to act.

With your help, we can reach our goal! Can you please share this link with five of your friends right now:

http://www.climatehawksvote.com/prosecute_exxon

Thank you for taking a stand against Exxon’s decades of deliberate climate destruction.

yours,

Brad Johnson

The latest news:

“Climate Scientist Faces Backlash for Urging Investigation of Fossil Fuel Companies”, InsideClimate News:
http://insideclimatenews.org/news/07102015/climate-scientist-shukla-backlash-RICO-investigation-fossil-fuel-companies-lamar-smith-congress

Our petition:
Newly revealed documents show that Exxon’s own scientists were aware of and studying the dangerous impacts of greenhouse gases in the 1970s and 1980s — until Exxon’s leadership decided to shut down the research and promote climate denial instead, in order to protect the company’s unfathomably large profits.

The United States Department of Justice has the power to prosecute Exxon’s deliberate deception under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act – just as the DOJ did to the tobacco industry for knowingly lying about the dangers of cigarette smoking.

Tell U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch:

Launch a RICO prosecution of Exxon and its fellow fossil-fuel companies for deliberate and malicious climate deception.

Here is a link to add your name to the request to prosecute ExxonMobil

A major breakthrough has recently been achieved for the environmental movement via the Department of Justice. Many of us have been asking that criminal charges be brought against corporate polluters who violate environmental regulations and the DOJ recently issued a memo (with their environmental division listed as the 4th department down on the distribution list) stating that prosecutors should begin to zero in on individuals within corporations to prosecute criminally when environmental laws are broken. This is huge, but we should keep in mind that they won’t do it unless “we the people” demand it on a case-by-case basis. There is now plenty of documentation about intentional wrongdoing to make this a reality. And the fossil fuel-based economy is a house of cards. It’s also referred to as the “carbon bubble.” Once a few heads start to roll, these cowards will retreat and those who deliberately lie and deceive the public will try to run and hide, but they won’t get very far (are you listening Morano?) as the public has had ENOUGH. Once these “stranded assets” become even more unsavory to investors, there will be economic collapse in this industry. And we’ll all feel it, but it has to happen in order for real change to occur.

Please take a moment and sign the petition so it can be sent to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and then please, please share with at least five friends.