A likely factor in this lawsuit is the excellent investigative series done by InsideClimate News. They were a finalist for a Pulitzer for this series.
Part [1] covers the beginnings of Exxon's own climate research in the late 70s, and the findings of their scientists, which was approximately accurate to modern climate behavior today, 40 years later. Back in 1979, Exxon outfitted some of their ships with equipment to detect CO2 absorption in the ocean along their routes; Exxon was, at the time, one of the leading climate research organizations in the world.
Part [2] covers some of Exxon's research and findings in more detail.
Part [3] describes the climate models that Exxon's researchers developed in the early 80s, and some of the early decisions that corporate leadership made to downplay the implications of these models and search for other poorly-founded ideas that might rebut them.
Part [4] is about Exxon's discovery of and response to a major CO2 source in the South China Sea.
Part [5] briefly talks about synthetic fuel technology under development in the 1980s and the impact that early climate science might have had on exploring that technology.
And [6] finally gets to the meaty part where, after well over a decade of their own research efforts were telling them otherwise, company executives began a misinformation campaign through the 90s and 2000s, downplaying the certainty of climate science and its potential effects.
You can also explore a pile of internal Exxon documents yourself [7].
The comparison between energy companies and tobacco companies is apt. There is no doubt that, even as Exxon duped an entire legion of people into believing that climate science was "uncertain", internally they had solid research demonstrating the effects their practices would have on the global climate.
It's fair to say that climate change skeptics have been arguing against Exxon's own research. They just didn't know they were arguing against Exxon's research, because Exxon lied, repeatedly, to the public.
Their executives did not want to accept the potential liability associated with the findings of their own internal research.
Part [1] covers the beginnings of Exxon's own climate research in the late 70s, and the findings of their scientists, which was approximately accurate to modern climate behavior today, 40 years later. Back in 1979, Exxon outfitted some of their ships with equipment to detect CO2 absorption in the ocean along their routes; Exxon was, at the time, one of the leading climate research organizations in the world.
Part [2] covers some of Exxon's research and findings in more detail.
Part [3] describes the climate models that Exxon's researchers developed in the early 80s, and some of the early decisions that corporate leadership made to downplay the implications of these models and search for other poorly-founded ideas that might rebut them.
Part [4] is about Exxon's discovery of and response to a major CO2 source in the South China Sea.
Part [5] briefly talks about synthetic fuel technology under development in the 1980s and the impact that early climate science might have had on exploring that technology.
And [6] finally gets to the meaty part where, after well over a decade of their own research efforts were telling them otherwise, company executives began a misinformation campaign through the 90s and 2000s, downplaying the certainty of climate science and its potential effects.
You can also explore a pile of internal Exxon documents yourself [7].
The comparison between energy companies and tobacco companies is apt. There is no doubt that, even as Exxon duped an entire legion of people into believing that climate science was "uncertain", internally they had solid research demonstrating the effects their practices would have on the global climate.
It's fair to say that climate change skeptics have been arguing against Exxon's own research. They just didn't know they were arguing against Exxon's research, because Exxon lied, repeatedly, to the public.
Their executives did not want to accept the potential liability associated with the findings of their own internal research.
[1]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15092015/Exxons-own-resea...
[2]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/16092015/exxon-believed-d...
[3]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/18092015/exxon-confirmed-...
[4]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102015/Exxons-Business-...
[5]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/08102015/highlighting-all...
[6]: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102015/Exxon-Sowed-Doub...
[7]: https://insideclimatenews.org/search_documents?topic=All&pro...