Chicago City Wire

The Center for Climate Integrity (CCI), funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, is pursuing a new legal strategy against the energy industry. This involves a wrongful death lawsuit aimed at holding oil companies accountable for extreme weather events. The case centers on the death of a Washington woman during the 2021 heatwave, with her daughter filing the lawsuit in May against seven energy companies.

According to The New York Times, CCI approached Misti Leon, whose mother died from heatstroke, suggesting she file a wrongful death suit. However, documents obtained by The Washington Free Beacon indicate that CCI not only advised Leon but also drafted the complaint. Metadata shows senior CCI attorney Noami Spoelman authored it. Just before filing the lawsuit, Leon transferred control of her mother's estate to Sarah Myhre, Director of Partnerships at Democracy Forward.

Democracy Forward denies involvement in Leon's case but has supported other climate lawsuits. Public records show they communicated with California Attorney General Rob Bonta's office regarding a 2023 climate suit and participated in an activist briefing organized by CCI and California DOJ.

Richard Wiles, President of the Center for Climate Integrity | Official Website

Time Magazine recently profiled this lawsuit as a groundbreaking attempt to hold oil companies liable for individual deaths due to climate change. The article quoted Ben Franta from Oxford University but did not mention his long-standing activism against oil and gas industries.

Further reporting from The Washington Free Beacon highlighted that Leon's mother had hypertensive cardiovascular disease listed on her death certificate as a contributing factor. Doctors suggested this condition could have made her more susceptible to heat stress after recent bariatric surgery and being on a restrictive diet.

Critics argue that omitting such details misrepresents the medical context of the case. Leslie Eastman wrote in Legal Insurrection that reducing fossil fuel production could make extreme weather more dangerous due to higher costs and limited resources. Jason Issac from the American Energy Institute criticized these lawsuits as attempts to drain energy companies financially for environmental projects.

This lawsuit signifies another step in climate litigation efforts, though critics claim it continues familiar tactics by activist groups challenging the energy sector through legal means.

Information from this article can be found here.