©2019 Friends of Science Society 

On June 24, 2019, a group of 28 law professors issued an Open Letter on Climate Accountability Legislation, claiming that the production and use of global fossil fuels are causing climate change, that these corporations knew this would happen, that cities and municipalities are being stuck with the costs of extreme weather events caused by climate change, and that fossil fuels are a ‘nuisance’ under tort law and thus can these corporations be prosecuted.  They advocate for the institution of such laws in Canada.

LINK TO FULL REBUTTAL: Case Dismissed Open Letter to Law Professors A1FINAL

In this document – “Case Dismissed…”  we rebut these claims with evidence showing that:

• Climate, temperature and weather evidence does not support the law professors’ claims
• Official scientific documents by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) do not support the climate claims as presented by these law professors
• The degree of human influence on climate change is uncertain and undetermined
• The global warming ‘hiatus’ of ~20 years began before the Kyoto Accord on greenhouse gas reductions was ever ratified.
• Consumers voluntarily use fossil fuels and related products to benefit their lives while governments reap huge financial benefits
• The proposed legislation might create risk of serious unintended consequences for cities and taxpaying citizens
• There is no evidence that extreme weather events are related to human causation on climate
• Fossil fuel companies pay exorbitant taxes and engage in substantial charitable donations to universities
• The law professors engage in faulty logic on the law, the Paris Agreement and global emissions
• The case should be dismissed on grounds of nonsense, not pushed forward based on nuisance
• The alleged harm of Canada vs the world is not well understood by these law professors
• Dramatic findings about oil companies’ apparent foreknowledge of fossil fuel causation and climate change are divorced from historic context
• Suing a reliable provider of essential services would benefit citizens and cities in what way?
• Human influence on climate is only evident in computer climate models (simulations) so there is no evidence
• The law professors claim their legislative proposal would stimulate ‘sensible climate policies’ but fail to tell us what those might be.

In conclusion, Canadians must reject the 28 law professors’ proposal for climate accountability legislation as the proposal is not founded on evidence and may also result in distressing unintended consequences. Without reliable supply of fossil fuels, modern society would collapse into chaos and anarchy within days.

As the saying goes, “Be careful what you wish for, you might get it.”

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Red Flags All Over the Climate Movement