Eight California cities and counties, including San Francisco and Oakland, want billions of dollars from fossil fuel companies, alleging they caused major climate problems, like rising seas and extreme weather.
A federal appeals court seemed inclined Wednesday to allow some California cities and counties to sue oil companies for allegedly deceiving the public for decades about their industry's impact on greenhouse gases and climate change.
Emissions from transportation are going up, not down in California, a sign that cleaner and more fuel-efficient cars have been unable to overcome population growth, a growing economy and suburban sprawl.
Oil giant ExxonMobil has launched a counterpunch to the lawsuits filed by San Francisco and other communities that seek damages for climate change, alleging that the California jurisdictions conspired to vilify and taunt the oil industry.
