#ExxonKnew: Uncovering Decades of Climate Deception and Political Pollution
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Saturday, Jul. 16 4:00 PM (Eastern)
Ends: Saturday, Jul. 16 5:15 PM (Eastern)
In the 1970s, climate scientists at Exxon warned their bosses that oil could bring about catastrophic global warming. Instead of acting to protect humanity, Exxon decided to corrupt our democracy to protect its profits while the planet’s climate destabilized. Panelists will discuss whether ExxonMobil and the rest of the fossil-fuel industry can be brought to justice—as Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton have called for—much as the tobacco industry was for its deadly deception. We’ll also talk about how to mobilize to restore the democratic institutions that have been polluted by Exxon’s decades-long campaign.
Moderator
Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson is a climate strategist and communicator. He is the editor of Hill Heat, a climate politics and policy website. Previously Brad was the founding executive director of Climate Hawks Vote, a grassroots climate politics organization, campaign manager for Forecast the Facts, a grassroots climate advocacy organization, and editor for ThinkProgress Green at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Brad holds a bachelor’s degree in math and physics from Amherst College and master’s degree in geosciences from the Massachusetts Institute for Technology. He is the co-author of Technomanifestos and the founder of HillHeat.com.
Panelists
Sharon Eubanks
Prior to joining Bordas & Bordas, Sharon Eubanks co-founded the Washington, D.C. based public interest law firm, Edwards & Eubanks.
From 2000 to 2005, Sharon served as lead counsel on behalf of the United States in the largest civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) enforcement action ever filed, United States v. Philip Morris USA, et al., the federal tobacco litigation. Following a nine-month trial, the federal district court found that the major U.S. cigarette companies violated the civil provisions of RICO and committed fraud on a massive scale. They were ordered to change the way they do business.
Sharon is co-author of Bad Acts: The Racketeering Case Against the Tobacco Industry, an insider’s account of the federal tobacco litigation that led to the landmark decision. Sharon has appeared and discussed her work on several national television programs. She is also featured in the 2011 documentary film, “Addiction Incorporated.”
Ted Lieu
Ted W. Lieu represents California’s 33rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. Ted is serving in his fourth term in Congress and currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He was also elected by his Democratic Colleagues to serve as a Co-Chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.
Ted is a former active duty officer in the U.S. Air Force and currently serves as a Colonel in the Reserves, stationed at Los Angeles Air Force Base. In Congress, Ted has established himself as a leader on the environment; cybersecurity; civil liberties; government ethics and veterans.
Ted has been a leader in Congress against ethnic and racial profiling, including discrimination against the LGBT community and hate toward the Asian American community. He serves as Whip of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, Vice Chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus, and Co-Chair of the Cloud Computing Caucus.