Lawmakers hope to use this emerging climate science to charge oil companies for disasters

A small tractor clears water from a business as floodwaters block a street in Barre, Vt., in July 2023. Heavy flooding last year devastated many Vermont communities. Now, state lawmakers are backing a “climate Superfund” bill that would force fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change-caused damages based on their emissions. (Photo by Charles Krupa/The Associated Press)

A small tractor clears water from a business as floodwaters block a street in Barre, Vt., in July 2023. Heavy flooding last year devastated many Vermont communities. Now, state lawmakers are backing a “climate Superfund” bill that would force fossil fuel companies to pay for climate change-caused damages based on their emissions. (Photo by Charles Krupa/The Associated Press)

A fast-emerging field of climate research is helping scientists pinpoint just how many dollars from a natural disaster can be tied to the historic emissions of individual oil companies — analysis that is the centerpiece of new state efforts to make fossil fuel companies pay billions for floods, wildfires and heat waves.

When a flood or wildfire hits, researchers in “attribution science” run computer models to help determine whether the disaster was caused or intensified by climate change.

As those models become more precise, other scientists are working to measure how specific companies, such as Exxon Mobil or Shell, have contributed to climate change through their historic greenhouse gas emissions.

“This is a growing field, and it’s a game changer for addressing climate change,” said Delta Merner, the lead scientist for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a climate-focused research and advocacy nonprofit. “It has a role to play in litigation and in policy, because it gives us that precision.”

For the first time, some state lawmakers are trying to turn that advanced modeling into policy. Under their proposals, state agencies would use attribution science to tally up the damages caused by climate change and identify the companies responsible. Then, they would send each company a bill for its portion of the destruction, from heat waves to hurricanes.

“This science is evolving rapidly,” said Anthony Iarrapino, a Vermont-based attorney and lobbyist for the Conservation Law Foundation who has been a leading advocate for attribution-based policy. “This is something that couldn’t have been done 10 years ago. [Lawmakers] are benefiting from this shift in focus among some of the most talented scientists we have out there.”

Lawmakers in Vermont and four other blue states have proposed “climate Superfund” bills, which would create funds to pay for recovery from climate disasters and preparation for sea level rise and other adaptation measures.

Oil and coal companies would pay into those funds based on the percentage of emissions they’ve caused over a set period. The legislation’s name references the 1980 federal Superfund law that forces polluters to pay for the cleanup of toxic waste sites.

This is a growing field, and it’s a game changer for addressing climate change. It has a role to play in litigation and in policy, because it gives us that precision.

– Delta Merner, lead scientist for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation at the Union of Concerned Scientists

States’ climate proposals come after years of lawsuits by state attorneys general against many of those same companies. They claim the companies knew years ago that fossil fuel use was causing climate change, but misled the public about that danger. While the courtroom fights are far from resolved, some advocates think it’s time for lawmakers to get involved.

“There have been a lot of lawsuits trying to get these companies to pay for some damages, and the industry’s message has been, ‘This is a task for legislatures, not the courts,’” said Justin Flagg, director of environmental policy for New York state Sen. Liz Krueger, a Democrat. “We are taking up that invitation.”

Oil industry groups object to the methodologies used by attribution scientists. Industry leaders say lawmakers are acting out of frustration that the lawsuits have been slow to progress.

“The science isn’t proven,” said Mandi Risko, a spokesperson for Energy In Depth, a research and public outreach project of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a trade group. “[The state bills] are throwing spaghetti at a wall. What’s gonna stick?”

Oil companies also assert that climate Superfund bills, if enacted, would force the penalized companies to raise gas prices on consumers in those states.

The push for climate Superfund legislation began with a federal bill in 2021, backed by U.S. Senate Democrats, that failed to pass. Lawmakers in a handful of states introduced their own proposals in the following years. Now, Vermont could soon become the first to enact a law.

Vermont’s measure would task the state treasurer with calculating the costs of needed climate adaptation work, as well as the damage inflicted by previous disasters such as last summer’s devastating floods.

The program would collect money from companies that emitted more than 1 billion tons of carbon dioxide around the world from 1995 to the present day. Those companies with a certain threshold of business activity in Vermont would be charged according to their percentage of global emissions.

“We can with some degree of certainty say how much worse these storms are [due to climate change],” said Democratic state Sen. Anne Watson, the bill’s sponsor. “That really is the foundation for us to bring a dollar value into a piece of legislation like this.”

Environmental advocates say the bill is a pioneering attempt to use the latest science for accountability.

“This is one of the first instances of climate attribution science being at the center of legislation,” said Ben Edgerly Walsh, climate and energy program director with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, an environmental nonprofit. “That reflects the maturity of this field.”

Walsh said the measure, if passed, is expected to bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. The bill was approved by the Senate earlier this month in a 26-3 vote, and a House version has been co-sponsored by a majority of that chamber’s members. Republican Gov. Phil Scott has not said whether he would sign it into law, but he has said he would prefer to see larger states go first.

Exxon Mobil deferred an interview request to the trade group American Petroleum Institute. The institute did not grant an interview with Stateline, but pointed to the comments it filed with Vermont lawmakers last month. The group said its members lawfully extracted fossil fuels to meet economic demand and should not be punished for that after the fact. The letter also questioned states’ authority to impose payments for emissions that were generated overseas.

Meanwhile, New York lawmakers are currently negotiating a budget that could include a climate Superfund policy. A measure that passed the Senate at the end of last year would seek to collect $75 billion over 25 years to pay for the damages of climate change.

“It’s not intended to be punitive, it’s intended to pay for our needs,” said Flagg, the New York Senate staffer. “It’s going to be a lot of money, and $75 billion is only a small portion of that.”

The proposal applied to companies with a presence in New York responsible for more than 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide between 2000 and 2018.

In Massachusetts, Democratic state Rep. Steve Owens introduced a similar bill last year. While the measure failed to advance, Owens said lawmakers are becoming familiar with the concept.

“Is this fraud that we can litigate or something that we can legislate?” he asked. “That question was not settled in time for this session. We’re going to keep working to get people used to the idea.”

Lawmakers in California and Maryland also have introduced climate Superfund bills this session.

If legislatures in Vermont and elsewhere pass climate Superfund bills, the state officials who carry them out are expected to rely heavily on researcher Richard Heede’s “Carbon Majors” project, which has tallied the historic emissions of 108 fossil fuel producers using public data.

“We know enough to attribute temperature response, sea level rise, build a reasonable case and apportion responsibility among the major fossil fuel producers,” said Heede, whose project is part of the Climate Accountability Institute, a Colorado-based nonprofit research group that has received funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. “But that hasn’t been tested in court.”

Heede said that more than 70% of carbon emissions from fossil fuels can be linked to just over 100 companies, but noted that many large emitters, such as Saudi Aramco, the national oil company of Saudi Arabia, are owned by international governments that are unlikely to face accountability from U.S. state governments.

Last year, a study looking at temperature and water vapor data found that much of the area burned by wildfires in the West over the past several decades was tied to emissions produced by the largest fossil fuel and cement companies. That research by the Union of Concerned Scientists’ Merner and others was published in Environmental Research Letters. Similar research, looking at storms and heat waves, can show how much of an event’s intensity and economic damage can be pinned on climate change.

Backers of the state bills say they expect strong legal challenges from oil companies if their proposals become law. Pat Parenteau, an emeritus professor of environmental law at Vermont Law School, has supported states’ climate lawsuits, but cautioned that climate Superfund bills will likely face similar legal delays if enacted.

“The companies are gonna litigate the hell out of it,” he said. “Throw something more at them, but don’t for a minute think there’s something magical about it.”

He urged Vermont to wait for bigger states, such as New York, to pass the first climate Superfund bills and face the ensuing legal onslaught.

Advocates acknowledged the bill will face legal challenges, but said that’s not a reason to pause their efforts.

“Vermont is already paying through the nose for the climate crisis,” Walsh said. “The sooner we pass a law like this, the sooner we could actually see these companies be held financially accountable.”

Stateline originally published this article. Like the Alaska Beacon, Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence.

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The Schmidt Science Fellows For 2024 Are Announced

The 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows.

Eric and Wendy Schmidt have announced the 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows. As in years past, this year’s class of 32 fellows are all recent PhD’s who’ve been identified as some of the most outstanding early-career scientists in the world.

The Schmidt Science Fellows is supported by Schmidt Sciences, a philanthropic initiative co-founded in 2024 by former Google CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy, President of the Schmidt Family Foundation.

The current class is the seventh cohort in the program, which is delivered in a partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Since its inception, the Schmidt Science Fellows has supported 177 Fellows, nominated by 62 institutes across the globe.

Considered one of the most prestigious scientific postdoctoral awards in the world, Schmidt Science Fellows are awarded support for either one or two years in a field of study that represents a pivot from their Ph.D concentration.

An emphasis is placed on encouraging interdisciplinary research with the potential to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

“Breaking down silos and harnessing the power of interdisciplinary science holds the key to tackling humanity's most pressing challenges, from global health and protecting our environment to ensuring we can develop new technologies that are both safe and foster societal good,” said Eric Schmidt, in a news release. “The 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows are exceptionally talented in their fields and with the Program’s support we hope to enhance the impact of their work.”

In addition to an annual stipend of $110,000, the fellows receive individualized mentoring and participate in a year-long Science Leadership Program that helps them cultivate the skills, experience and networks to be expected from interdisciplinary science leaders.

Each year, the Schmidt Science Fellows program works with nearly 100 of the world’s leading science and engineering institutions to identify the most promising candidates for the fellowships. Nominated candidates are selected through a process that includes an academic review by leaders in their home disciplines and final interviews with panels of experts, including senior representatives from many scientific disciplines and different business sectors.

The 2024 cohort represents 17 nationalities nominated by 26 of the world’s leading institutions across North America, Europe and Asia. Four institutions had Fellows selected for the first time this year: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; Max Planck, Germany; and the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Eighteen of the fellows were nominated by universities in the United States.

The full list of the 2024 Schmidt Science Fellows can be found here. Their areas of study span a wide range of topics in biology, neurosciences, engineering, cancer diagnosis and treatment, artificial intelligence, earth sciences and climate change. As examples:

About Schmidt Sciences

Schmidt Sciences is a philanthropic efforts that “aims to accelerate and deepen our understanding of the natural world and develop solutions to real-world challenges for public benefit.”

According to its website, an emphasis is placed on “identifying under-supported or unconventional areas of exploration and discovery with the potential for high impact.” It focuses on AI & Advanced Computing, Astrophysics and Space, Biosciences, Climate, and Cross-Science.

"It's at the edges of things—ecosystems, borders, disciplines—where the most interesting ideas are developed, solutions that don't arise from any single approach," said Wendy Schmidt. "We're excited to welcome the 2024 cohort of Schmidt Science Fellows to approach these edges, look at problems anew, share insights with each other and the world and, we hope, go on to develop solutions to some of humanity's most pressing challenges."

Science Storyteller Lucy Cooke Uses Humor to Share Insights on Sex, Sloths, and Sustainability

A conversation with acclaimed science storyteller Lucy Cooke on April 3 at Columbia’s Pulitzer Hall promised a lively and engaging discussion on the topics of science, satire, sloths, and sex.

And it did not disappoint.

Hosted by the Columbia University School of Professional Studies (SPS) M.S. in Sustainability Management, M.S. in Sustainability Science programs along with Columbia Journalism School’s Science Journalism Program, and CJS Women in Media, “The Surprising Truth about Storytelling” provided insights into the complexities of science writing, morality, and the diversity of behavior observed in nature. The event was moderated by Louise A. Rosen, Senior Associate Dean of Administration & Communications, School of Professional Studies, Lecturer, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University.

It was all filtered through Cooke’s distinctive approach to storytelling, which blends science and humor to illuminate important issues entertainingly.

Cooke's latest book, Bitch: On the Female of the Species, exemplifies her ability to challenge societal norms and provoke conversation through her unique narrative lens. As Cooke put it, “I particularly like telling stories that make people look at the world in a different way and also make people laugh.”

Sloths: Nature’s Unsung Sustainability Heroes

Cooke studied Zoology at New College, Oxford University with renowned scholar Richard Dawkins, before embarking on her career as a storyteller. Taking a break from working as a television producer, Cooke was driven by a mission to save endangered amphibians and shared how an encounter with a sloth inspired a new passion. When an Instagram video she posted featuring sloths went viral, her career took an unexpected turn, and Cooke found herself inadvertently advocating for the furry, tree-dwelling mammals.

Cooke shared that despite their notoriously sedentary lifestyle, sloths are a positive for sustainability. “They are sustainability icons. To me, they are like the perfect story.”

Unlike sloths, Cooke explained, “humans are obsessed with going faster than nature intended, and it’s killing the planet.” This observation underscores her belief in the value of embracing nature’s slower pace, a sentiment echoed in her admiration for the enduring adaptability of sloths.

Science storyteller Lucy Cooke (left) in conversation with moderator Louise A. Rosen at Columbia's Pulitzer Hall.

Cultural Reflections and Animal Behavior

Throughout the conversation, Cooke delved into the intricacies of human-animal parallels, noting how society often superimposes its values onto animals. This dynamic serves as fertile ground for storytelling, allowing Cooke to dissect human behavior through the lens of the animal kingdom.

“We sort of impose our culture and our ideas on animals, and then use that to reflect back on ourselves,” said Cooke. This introspective approach adds depth to her storytelling, prompting audiences to reconsider their preconceived notions.

She succinctly summarized her views on the diversity of behavior and complexities of morality observed in nature: “The animal kingdom is the worst place to go for model moral guidance.”

Breaking Boundaries through Humor in Science

Cooke’s approach to storytelling transcends conventional norms, infusing humor into personal narratives to inspire, engage, and educate audiences that traditionally may not gravitate toward science storytelling. 

Addressing concerns about maintaining scientific integrity while using humor, she emphasized the importance of crafting narratives that challenge perceptions. “I particularly like telling stories that make people look at the world in a different way and also make people laugh,” Cooke said.

Cooke navigates complex topics with finesse by employing humor as a tool for change. “I'd love to try to dress it up as something really clever and intentional,” she shared. “But basically, I just really like telling jokes. I just like making people laugh.”

Lessons Learned from Nature’s Misfits

As the event drew to a close, Cooke’s eclectic blend of science, satire, and storytelling left attendees inspired and entertained. Through her humor-infused narratives about sloths, amphibians, and other animals, and insightful reflections on human-animal dynamics, Cooke demonstrated the transformative power of storytelling to spark curiosity and embrace new ideas.

As attendees left the talk, they carried with them not only newfound insights but also a deeper appreciation for the art of storytelling in science.

About the Sustainability Management Program

The Columbia University M.S. in Sustainability Management program offered by the School of Professional Studies in partnership with the Climate School provides students cutting-edge policy and management tools they can use to help public and private organizations and governments address environmental impacts and risks, pollution control, and remediation to achieve sustainability. The program is customized for working professionals and is offered as both a full- and part-time course of study.

About the Sustainability Science Program

The Master of Science in Sustainability Science prepares students for management and leadership positions in which they help organizations address environmental impacts. Students learn strategies to respond to the ever-changing environment and predict future environmental changes—and the impact on the public.