Carrboro is accusing Duke of deceiving the public about climate change and failing to curb its greenhouse gas emissions even though the company knew the long-term risk and impact of not doing so USA TODAY NETWORK Carrboro Mayor Barbara Foushee speaks at a Dec. 4 news conference announcing the town’s lawsuit against Duke Energy over alleged climate change denialism. The early December lawsuit seemed to come a bit out of left field. Carrboro, an Orange County town close to Chapel Hill, charged Duke Energy of deceiving the public about climate change and allowing its ongoing operations and investments in new fossil fuel-powered plants to help further warm the planet. That, in turn, has and will cost the town millions of dollars in dealing with extreme weather events and negatively impacts its residents’ health and quality of life. Historically, the energy industry − largely backed by the courts − has dismissed similar arguments of industry-wide deception and making misleading statements by other governments, environmental groups and even individuals that look to hold them responsible for our warming planet. But clean energy advocates and environmentalists say this time could be different. What does the lawsuit claim? The suit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, accuses the utility giant of intentionally spreading false information about the negative effects of fossil fuels for decades despite learning about the risks as early as the late 1960s. “Although Duke has understood the dangers of climate change for decades, the company actively participated in a far-reaching, decades-long campaign to deceive the public and decision-makers about these dangers,” the lawsuit states. “Duke misled the public concerning the causes and consequences of climate change and thereby materially slowed the transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy. Duke’s deception campaign served to protect its fossil fuel-based business […]
Click here to view original web page at www.starnewsonline.com