Arizona lawyers have grounds for charging oil conglomerates with murder or manslaughter for the hundreds of deaths caused by the July 2023 heat wave, per an article published in the Guardian.
Climate experts and scientists have claimed that the scorching heat wave from last summer was a result of Big Oil burning dirty fuels and releasing harmful, planet-warming gases into the atmosphere.
What's happening?
State prosecutors are gearing up to hold oil companies accountable for the climate disaster and resulting deaths they caused.
Hundreds of Arizona residents suffered from heat-related deaths after the state experienced one of the worst heat waves last July, per the Guardian's report. According to the prosecution memorandum, the victims covered a wide demographic, as individuals of many ages and socioeconomic backgrounds passed away from the intolerable heat.
"Some were homeless, like the man who died after breaking both legs jumping over a fence in a desperate attempt to find shade outside an elementary school; others were well off, like the woman who died in her $1 million home in Scottsdale," states the prosecution's memo.
Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy nonprofit organization, published the memo to outline the climate disaster's impact and present grounds for the state to pursue reckless manslaughter or second-degree murder claims against big oil companies.
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Why is Arizona's legal action against Big Oil important?
Rising global temperatures have led to an increase in heat waves across major U.S. cities. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, heat waves in the U.S. have increased from an average of two per year during the 1960s to an average of six per year during the 2010s and 2020s.
Despite knowing the impact of dirty energy on the environment and its catastrophic effects, big oil companies have continued to burn these toxic fuels, choosing profit over public safety.
"As Americans reeled from another lethal heat wave last week, it's important to remember that these climate disasters didn't come out of nowhere," Aaron Regunberg, senior policy counsel with Public Citizen's climate program, told the Guardian. "They were knowingly caused by fossil fuel companies that chose to inflict this suffering to maintain their profits."
What's being done about climate disasters caused by Big Oil?
As the Guardian reported, 40 cities and states have already taken action against Big Oil, suing companies for their part in climate disasters and for denying the impact dirty energy has on the environment.
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While experts note that Arizona's potential homicide charges against Big Oil would be an arduous fight, it would set the precedent for future cases of climate-related deaths.
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