Here's A Lengthy Portrait Of An Asshole Who Exemplifies The Legal Hacks Who Front For Big Oil

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Goldberg is part of a network of enablers working to preserve big oil’s power and reputation as it faces a barrage of litigation. More than two dozen cities, states and municipalities allege the industry lied to Americans for decades by downplaying and outright denying that fossil fuels caused climate change. The lawsuits demand companies use some of their vast profits to help pay for the human toll of the climate crisis, including the damage brought by rising seas and increasingly severe weather disasters.

Desperate to avoid costly settlements, the fossil fuel industry relies on front organisations to discredit the litigation and sway public opinion in its favour. So nearly three years ago, the friends of big oil turned to Goldberg, a former Democratic congressional aide and self-described “committed environmentalist”, to persuade Americans that the companies responsible for the growing climate disaster are now the ones to fix the problem.

Though Goldberg heads an ostensibly independent initiative called the Manufacturers Accountability Project (Map), much of its funding comes from some of the biggest names in the oil business. Map hired Goldberg to push back against litigation on the fossil fuel industry’s behalf, allowing oil companies to keep their hands clean in the process. Goldberg is leading a charge in local media to discredit those suing the fossil fuel industry as a “fringe litigation movement” conspiracy of opportunistic politicians, environmental extremists and money-grasping lawyers who pose a threat to the American way of life. “There are two goals of this litigation – drive climate policy and wage a public relations campaign against the energy industry,” Goldberg told the Guardian. “It has no foundation legally and, more to the point, is not the right way to fight climate change.”

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Goldberg’s current defense of the fossil fuel industry is equally focused. He deflects questions about big oil’s cover-up of its own scientific research on global heating by claiming that raking over the past is not going to help find solutions to the climate crisis. He also avoids answering questions about parallels with the tobacco industry’s actions. Instead, Goldberg has sought to nurture a progressive image with claims to be dedicated to the climate fight but concerned that suing oil companies is getting in the way of solutions. He goes out of his way to say that he “cares deeply about climate change” and, in his answers, returns repeatedly to “the important work that needs to be done on the climate”. This image was carried through to the photographs for this article which Goldberg agreed to pose for only while riding his bicycle. He declined to remove his helmet for any of the pictures.

Ed. - Sorry, can't get the link to load, but it's . . . .

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/mar/17/the-stealth-operative-for-big-oil-whos-out-to-derail-americas-climate-fight