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An A to Z of Fossil Fuel Industry Deception

Union of Concerned Scientists

This year has brought new evidence of what major fossil fuel companies knew and when about the role their products play in climate change, as well as what they did in spite of what they knew. But these technologies are no substitute for sharp cuts in fossil fuels if we keep the goals of the Paris climate agreement within reach.

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US States and Communities are Suing the Fossil Fuel Industry: Six Things You Need to Know 

Union of Concerned Scientists

In an important win for climate accountability in the United States, the US Supreme Court decided that lawsuits filed in Colorado, Maryland, California, Hawai’i, and Rhode Island against fossil fuel companies including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Shell, Suncor, and others will remain in state courts.

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Fossil Fuels vs. Renewables: A Price on Reliability?

Union of Concerned Scientists

Utility companies, as well as state and federal government regulatory agencies, made a series of questionable decisions that together created the situation we find ourselves in today. Three decades of deregulation allowed private companies, as opposed to public regulators, to make critical decisions about reliability.

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Statement on Proposed Act to Ban Fossil Fuel Advertising & Greenwashing

Enviromental Defense

If passed into law, the bill would be a valuable step toward limiting misinformation about fossil fuels and countering greenwashing. The fossil fuel industry has a long and well documented history of denying climate science and funding advertising campaigns to greenwash oil and gas.

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COP28 Marks a Turning Point Towards a Fossil Fuel Free Future

Enviromental Defense

On this final day of COP28, just a few hours after countries of the world agreed on the need to move away from fossil fuels, I’m overcome with a mix of emotions. Inspired by the unstoppable momentum to secure a fast, fair, full and financed fossil fuel phaseout. And let’s be real, I’m also exhausted.

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Good News—and Bad—about Fossil Fuel Power Plants in 2023 

Union of Concerned Scientists

And fossil fuel power plants may not stick to their retirement schedules for a variety of reasons. The bottom line: There’s still a long way to go, and the clean energy transition must move quicker than it has been—despite the fossil fuel industry’s self-serving claims to the contrary. A bit more on those reasons later.

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Five Grid Plans to Cut Fossil Fuel Dependence

Union of Concerned Scientists

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy from wind and solar will depend on upgrading the electric power grid, which is currently plagued by planning delays and gridlock. The 2021 law allows, but does not require, PJM to plan ahead because various fossil fuel plants must reduce and then cease emissions by a specific date.