U.S. Lawmakers Press Oil Companies on What They Knew About Climate Change

A contingent of powerful U.S. representatives are pressing the chief executives of six of the country's largest fossil fuel companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell, to answer questions about when the companies first understood that burning fossil fuels drives climate change and whether they became active partners in an effort to downplay the harm that could result.

The inquiry was prompted by recent disclosures that ExxonMobil scientists were aware of the potential harm of global warming as far back as the late 1970s.

"We are alarmed by reports stating that Exxon (becoming ExxonMobil in 1999) hid the truth about the role of fossil fuels in influencing climate change and intentionally spread disinformation about climate science," according to the letter signed by 45 Democratic representatives.

In the Dec. 7 letter, representatives ask a pivotal question of the fossil fuel companies:  what did they know about the risks of global warming and when did they know it.

The inquiry by the House Democrats is spearheaded by Reps. Ted Lieu of California and Peter Welch of Vermont, and includes senior representatives who sit on the Health Subcommittee on Ways and Means, the Natural Resources Committee, Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the Energy and Commerce Committee.

"When you have the potential of multiple companies knowing of climate change and go to lengths to cover that up—not only is that morally wrong in many cases it could be illegal," Lieu said in an interview with InsideClimate News.

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