Environmentalists said this year’s “danger season” of extreme heat, floods and fires underscores the need to hold fossil-fuel companies accountable.
Michigan logged its second-warmest summer ever and the U.S. recorded 27 billion-dollar weather disasters in 2024. At a recent Union of Concerned Scientists panel discussion, speakers tied climate risks to decades of alleged disinformation, even pointing to Michigan’s own debate over Enbridge’s proposed Line 5 tunnel.
Kathy Mulvey, Climate Accountability Campaign director for the Union of Concerned Scientists, spoke about the pipeline.
"Right now, Michigan officials are deciding whether to grant a permit to Enbridge, the world’s largest pipeline company, to expand its Line 5 crude oil pipeline into a risky and unnecessary tunnel through the Great Lakes," Mulvey pointed out.
Supporters of the fossil-fuel industry countered a rapid shift could raise costs and risk blackouts. They contended oil, gas and coal remain vital for affordable, dependable power and Michigan jobs. They pointed to investments in cleaner tech and call for an “all-of-the-above” transition.
Dozens of states and cities around the country are suing the fossil fuel industry, claiming companies misled the public about the dangers of their products.
Corey Riday-White, managing attorney at the Center for Climate Integrity, said while industry defenders called the cases political, his group is focused on something more fundamental.
"These cases are not about regulating the oil and gas companies or the sale of their products," Riday-White emphasized. "But rather making those who knowingly profited while proliferating the climate crisis pay their fair share to mitigate against it."
Fossil fuel industry representatives dispute the allegations, saying lawsuits will not cut emissions or keep the lights on. They argued advancing technology, including carbon capture and lower-emission fuels, alongside renewables is the most practical path.
