I'm a former smoker.
In spite of my alleged intelligence, I smoked from the time I was 18 until I quit at the age of 38.
I quit for two reasons: I wanted kids and I wanted my husband to quit so that he wouldn't have a heart attack at 40.
Oh yes, and I knew that smoking would probably kill me, even though the tobacco companies said it probably wouldn't.
The continued to say that well past the time that everyone knew that THEY knew that they were lying through their big, shiny white teeth.
In court, documents revealed that the tobacco companies had known about how lethal smoking was and had not only covered it up, but also added extra nicotine to cigarettes, so that smokers would be more addicted and stay hooked.
Finally, way past the time it should have happened, the courts awarded former smokers or their survivors $200 billion in reparation.
It couldn't bring back the people who had died from smoking or ease the pain of those who lived with the ravages of lung cancer's chemo and radiology or with emphysema.
It did signal the beginning of the end for Big Tobacco though.
According to, Conspiracy, an article in the June 2008 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Big Oil may soon find itself in the same position as Big Tobacco did during that court case.
Kivalina, a tiny village on the coast of Alaska, is dying - eroded away by the results of Global Warming.
Two lawyers who worked on opposite sides of the Big Tobacco court case, have joined together to represent the town against several oil companies.
If they're successful, Big Oil may have to pay for some of the damage to the earth that has come about because of greenhouse gas emissions.
True, almost everyone on the planet is responsible for Global Warming and greenhouse gas emissions, because we all contribute to it with our homes, cars and all that we do that uses power or fuel.
Taking us all to court would be impossible, but why is it that Big Oil is being held responsible for something that we've all brought about through our lifestyles and activities? The difference between consumers and Big Oil is that the oil companies have conspired to keep the truth about Global Warming and the effect of oil and gas on the environment from the public with a deliberate campaign of misinformation.
It's a conspiracy, claim the two lawyers, Steve Susman and Steve Berman.
With think tanks and organizations that attempted to cover up and refute the truth about global warming.
They tried to influence scientists and experts and anyone else who might be persuaded to go along with their assertions that Global Warming was just hype or just a cycle that the earth goes through - not man-made at all.
Nothing to do with us, they told consumers and government panels.
Just a natural fluctuation the planet goes through every so many million years.
Well, we didn't all buy it, but they kept trying, well past the point where almost no one with any credibility believed it.
Just like Big Tobacco, they behaved like a five year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar, who denies that it's happening, even while it's apparent that he's lying.
It doesn't work for kids and it doesn't work for big companies either.
Not when it gets to the point where most of us have seen proof that what they're saying just isn't true.
I'll be following this case with great interest.
It may be thrown out of court or it may be the first step toward holding the oil companies accountable for conspiring to trash the earth for just a while longer, so that they can wring every last drop out of their industry before they segue into the renewable energy sources that they know have to replace oil.
Stay tuned.
In spite of my alleged intelligence, I smoked from the time I was 18 until I quit at the age of 38.
I quit for two reasons: I wanted kids and I wanted my husband to quit so that he wouldn't have a heart attack at 40.
Oh yes, and I knew that smoking would probably kill me, even though the tobacco companies said it probably wouldn't.
The continued to say that well past the time that everyone knew that THEY knew that they were lying through their big, shiny white teeth.
In court, documents revealed that the tobacco companies had known about how lethal smoking was and had not only covered it up, but also added extra nicotine to cigarettes, so that smokers would be more addicted and stay hooked.
Finally, way past the time it should have happened, the courts awarded former smokers or their survivors $200 billion in reparation.
It couldn't bring back the people who had died from smoking or ease the pain of those who lived with the ravages of lung cancer's chemo and radiology or with emphysema.
It did signal the beginning of the end for Big Tobacco though.
According to, Conspiracy, an article in the June 2008 issue of The Atlantic Monthly, Big Oil may soon find itself in the same position as Big Tobacco did during that court case.
Kivalina, a tiny village on the coast of Alaska, is dying - eroded away by the results of Global Warming.
Two lawyers who worked on opposite sides of the Big Tobacco court case, have joined together to represent the town against several oil companies.
If they're successful, Big Oil may have to pay for some of the damage to the earth that has come about because of greenhouse gas emissions.
True, almost everyone on the planet is responsible for Global Warming and greenhouse gas emissions, because we all contribute to it with our homes, cars and all that we do that uses power or fuel.
Taking us all to court would be impossible, but why is it that Big Oil is being held responsible for something that we've all brought about through our lifestyles and activities? The difference between consumers and Big Oil is that the oil companies have conspired to keep the truth about Global Warming and the effect of oil and gas on the environment from the public with a deliberate campaign of misinformation.
It's a conspiracy, claim the two lawyers, Steve Susman and Steve Berman.
With think tanks and organizations that attempted to cover up and refute the truth about global warming.
They tried to influence scientists and experts and anyone else who might be persuaded to go along with their assertions that Global Warming was just hype or just a cycle that the earth goes through - not man-made at all.
Nothing to do with us, they told consumers and government panels.
Just a natural fluctuation the planet goes through every so many million years.
Well, we didn't all buy it, but they kept trying, well past the point where almost no one with any credibility believed it.
Just like Big Tobacco, they behaved like a five year old caught with his hand in the cookie jar, who denies that it's happening, even while it's apparent that he's lying.
It doesn't work for kids and it doesn't work for big companies either.
Not when it gets to the point where most of us have seen proof that what they're saying just isn't true.
I'll be following this case with great interest.
It may be thrown out of court or it may be the first step toward holding the oil companies accountable for conspiring to trash the earth for just a while longer, so that they can wring every last drop out of their industry before they segue into the renewable energy sources that they know have to replace oil.
Stay tuned.
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