In yet another front of the multifaceted government campaign
against climate change, the House Oversight Committee is now
investigating the major oil companies and the principal fossil fuel
industry lobbying groups for allegedly spreading disinformation
concerning the role of fossil fuels in causing climate change.
According to the New York Times, "this inquiry [is] modeled
on the tobacco hearings of the 1990s that paved the way for far
tougher nicotine regulations. . . ." Notably, like the tobacco
hearings, this moment also features a wave of private tort
litigation focused on damages allegedly attributable to climate
change. And, based on the ultimate impact of those hearings, such a
comparison cannot be reassuring to the fossil fuel industry.
