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, 9 tweets, 5 min read
Compulsory viewing for anyone wanting to understand the tactics of misinformation employed by the fossil fuel lobby, making way for business as usual, while knowingly destroying the climate.

Today, the tactics are the same, but the arguments have shifted.

Thread 👇
Following is an outline of common arguments used by the fossil fuel industry in Australia today, to delay climate action and allow business as usual. Indefinitely.

Each of these claims was found by the Court in #RockyHillLitigation to be unsupported by the facts.
Claim #1. Emissions from Australian exports are not relevant to decisions on new fossil fuel projects here.

The facts: ‘Downstream’ emissions have long been recognised as impacts requiring assessment under domestic law.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 486-513
caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #2: ‘One more mine won’t make a difference’

The facts: Climate change is caused by cumulative emissions from a myriad of individual sources, and will be solved by controlling these myriad of individual sources.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 514-524

caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #3: The Paris agreement doesn’t prohibit new fossil fuel projects.

The facts: The Paris goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5C requires rapid reductions in emissions. New fossil fuels don’t assist that goal.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 525-528 caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #4: Emissions from new fossil fuel projects will be offset elsewhere under Paris.

The facts: This type of claim is hypothetical and speculative, and was found by the Court to have no basis in evidence.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 529-530
caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #5. ‘If we don’t build this mine, someone else will, and it could be worse’

The facts: No evidence. Supply from existing reserves meets current demands, and countries are phasing out fossil fuels globally.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 534-545 caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #6: We need new coal to make steel.

The facts: There is enough coking coal already in production to meet current and likely future demand for use in steel production worldwide.

#RockyHillLitigation Paras 546-549
caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/5c590…
Claim #7: Gas is a ‘transitional fuel’

The facts: Accounting for supply chains, gas is not significantly less polluting than coal. Opening new gas fields locks in new emissions for decades.

NOTE: Not addressed in Rocky Hill which dealt with new coal.

climatecouncil.org.au/uploads/2caadc…
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Sheldon Whitehouse
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Apple may want governments to move faster on #climate, but its presence here in Congress doesn’t contribute to that result.

A thread ⬇️ usatoday.com/story/tech/tal…
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James Glave
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In April, Alberta, Canada, will elect a new provincial government. Many may be unaware that the current @rachelnotley govt has adopted a globally significant #climate plan. Here is what's in it, what it has done, and what is at stake next month. A THREAD #abvote 1/24
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Sheldon Whitehouse
@SenWhitehouse
I must respectfully disagree with my friend @SenJohnBarrasso ’s Op-Ed on the @nytimes.

I will explain why in this thread⬇️ nytimes.com/2018/12/18/opi…
1️⃣ The referendum result in Washington State looked like more relentless campaigning by the fossil fuel industry against #climate action;

without that industry onslaught, the #carbontax referendum there would probably have passed.

nytimes.com/2018/12/30/opi…
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Peter Gleick
@PeterGleick
1/3
 Dear Media, to avoid committing media malpractice, if you invite someone on your show to talk about #climate & they say:
"The climate has always changed."

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Patrick Galey
@patrickgaley
Just returned from Bangkok, where nations made little progress towards finalising the Paris agreement on climate change that aims to limit global temperature rises over the next 80 years.

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JesseJenkins
@JesseJenkins
Good questions @RedsforNamesake. If confronting #climate change is your priority, it is imperative to ramp up carbon-free energy asap.

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