Roper: “Make Big Oil Pay!” flounders

Roper: “Make Big Oil Pay!” flounders

Lawmakers can’t open $ million-plus spigot to pay for hopeless lawsuit.by Rob RoperWhile it’s true a majority of Vermonters love the hypothetical (and fantastical) notion of our little state saving the planet from climate change by going “net zero” or some such thing, it’s also true that an even larger majority has absolutely net zero interest in paying for (or living with) the programs designed to do this.Back in 2023 Campaign for Vermont did a…

What Big Oil learned from the gun industry

Illustration by Tess AbbotBig Oil is reportedly lobbying Congress to grant their industry legal protection against a growing number of lawsuits that, if successful, could make oil and gas companies pay billions of dollars for deceiving the public about the dangers of fossil fuels. In the most extreme scenario, Big Oil could follow the example of an industry that won a near-blanket immunity from Congress two decades ago — gun manufacturers.The gu…