(The Center Square) - Advocates and legal analysts are divided on the potential outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court's pivotal climate change case.
Justices on the nation’s highest court heard arguments Monday in Suncor v. Boulder, a case over whether lawsuits can move forward against energy companies potentially seeking billions of dollars in damages over alleged contributions to climate change.
kAmyFDE:46 $2>F6= p=:E@ C64FD65 9:>D6=7 7C@> 4@?D:56C2E:@? :? E96 42D6[ :? E96 >:5DE @7 >@F?E:?8 D4CFE:?J @G6C 9:D 7:?2?4:2= :?G6DE>6?ED 2?5 E:6D E@ G2C:@FD 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D]k^Am
kAmr9:67 yFDE:46 y@9? #@36CED A@D65 D6G6C2= 5:77:4F=E BF6DE:@?D E@ A2CE:6D C6AC6D6?E65 :? E96 42D6] w6 C6A62E65=J 2D<65 =2HJ6CD 7@C $F?4@C t?6C8J H96E96C 7656C2= =2H AC66>AE65 DE2E6D :? 4=:>2E6 =:E:82E:@?] k^Am
kAmr2CC:6 $6G6C:?@[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 yF5:4:2= rC:D:D }6EH@C<[ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6 D96 36=:6G65 #@36CED 925 2 566A F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 E96 42D6 E9C@F89 9:D BF6DE:@?:?8 @7 q@F=56C r@F?EJ’D 4=2:>D] #@36CED BF6DE:@?65 E96 DECF4EFC6 @7 E96 4@F?EJ’D 2C8F>6?ED :? E96 42D6[ 2?5 96 DF886DE65 E92E E96 4@FCE H2D 2EE6>AE:?8 E@ C65F46 6>:DD:@?D 3J C68F=2E:?8 2? 6?6C8J 4@>A2?JVD EJA:42= 4@?5F4E]k^Am
kAm“%92E E@=5 >6 E96 49:67 ;FDE:46 <?@HD E96 562=[” $6G6C:?@ E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “w6 D66D H92E :D C62==J 8@:?8 @? 369:?5 E96 D46?6D 96C6]”k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= 25G@42E6D :? 72G@C @7 q@F=56C r@F?EJ 82E96C65 7@C 2 56>@?DEC2E:@? @FED:56 E96 9:89 4@FCE] vC6E496? v@=5>2?[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 &?:@? 7@C r@?46C?65 $4:6?E:DED[ 3=2>65 E96 24E:@?D @7 $F?4@C 2?5 tII@?|@3:= 7@C 4@?EC:3FE:?8 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 ?2EFC2= 5:D2DE6CD :? r@=@C25@ 2?5 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAm“%96 H@C=5 :D :? 52?86C @7 :?4C62D:?8=J D6G6C6 4=:>2E6 :>A24ED[” v@=5>2? D2:5] “%96 H@CDE 92C>D 2C6 36:?8 :>A@D65 3J 4@>>F?:E:6D E92E 92G6 4@?EC:3FE65 E96 =62DE E@ E96 4=:>2E6 4C:D:D]”k^Am
kAmv@=5>2? 2C8F65 E92E 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D H6C6 2H2C6 @7 4@?EC:3FE:@?D E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86 2?5 5:5 ?@E DE6A :? 2AAC@AC:2E6=J]k^Am
kAm$6G6C:?@ D2:5 q@F=56C D9@F=5 ?@E 92G6 2? @FED:K65 2FE9@C:EJ E@ C68F=2E6 6>:DD:@?D 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 E96 H@C=5] $96 D2:5 E96 =:E:82E:@? :D 2? 2EE6>AE E@ 8:G6 q@F=56C 6IEC2@C5:?2CJ 2FE9@C:EJ :? E96 4=:>2E6 42D6]k^Am
kAm“%96J H2?E :E E@ =@@< =:<6 2 C68F=2C E@CE 4=2:>[” $6G6C:?@ D2:5] “%9:D :D?’E ?@C>2==J 9@H E@CE =2H H@C<D[ 2?5 :EVD 567:?:E6=J 2 DEC6E49[ A2CE:4F=2C=J E96 :562 @7 42FD2E:@?[ E@ 2C8F6 E92E $F?4@C’D 6?6C8J AC@5F4E:@? E92E E96J 2C6 D6==:?8 2C@F?5 E96 H@C=5 42? D@>69@H 36 EC2465 E@ A2CE:4F=2C 92C>D E92E 2C6 92AA6?:?8 :? r@=@C25@]”k^Am
kAmr9C:DE@A96C |:==D[ E96 7@F?56C @7 =2H 7:C> $A6C@ {2H[ 9:89=:89E65 E96 49:67 ;FDE:46’D BF6DE:@? E@H2C5 =2HJ6CD 7@C q@F=56C r@F?EJ 23@FE D:>:=2C =2HDF:ED E2<:?8 A=246 32D65 @? E96 4@FCE’D 6?5 C6DF=E]k^Am
kAm“!C6DF>23=J :7 J@F AC6G2:= E96 ?6IE 52J[ 2 >F?:4:A2=:EJ :? 6G6CJ D:?8=6 DE2E6 H:== 7:=6 2 =2HDF:E[” #@36CED D2:5 5FC:?8 @C2= 2C8F>6?ED]k^Am
kAmz6G:? #FDD6==[ 2 =2HJ6C 7@C q@F=56C r@F?EJ[ 24<?@H=65865 2 7=FCCJ @7 =2HDF:ED 4@F=5 4@>6 7C@> E96 9:89 4@FCE’D 564:D:@?] k^Am
kAm“!@E6?E:2==J 9F?5C65D @7 5:776C6?E =2HDF:ED @G6C :>A@D:?8 @G6C=2AA:?8 =:23:=:EJ 32D65 @? 6G6?ED @44FCC:?8 @FED:56 2== @7 E96 C6=6G2?E >F?:4:A2=:E:6D @C DE2E6D[” |:==D E@=5 %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “xE’D 92C5 E@ E9:?< E92E’D 2? 2446AE23=6 DE2E6 @7 2772:CD]”k^Am
kAmu@C>6C (2D9:?8E@? v@G] y2J x?D=66 2=D@ DA@<6 :? 7C@?E @7 E96 9:89 4@FCE @? |@?52J] w6 D2:5 E96 q@F=56C 42D6 :D 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ >2<6 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D A2J 7@C 52>286D :? 4@FCE]k^Am
kAmx?D=66 2C8F65 E92E r@?8C6DD 5:5 ?@E AC66>AE DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED 7C@> D66<:?8 C6=:67 5F6 E@ 4=:>2E6 492?86]k^Am
kAm“(6 D9@F=5 ?@E 2==@H E9:D 4@FCE E@ 8@ ‘AC6DE@[ 492?86\@’ 2?5 AF== AC66>AE:@? @FE @7 ?@E9:?8[” x?D=66 D2:5] “%96C6 :D ?@E9:?8 :? E96 &]$] r@?8C6DD E@ D2J E96J H2?E65 E@ E2<6 2H2J E9:D C:89E 7C@> p>6C:42?D]”k^Am
kAmx?D=66 D2:5 E96 9:89 4@FCE’D 42D6 :D AC:>2C:=J 7@4FD65 @? 2==@H:?8 :?5:G:5F2=D E@ 92G6 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ :? 4@FCE 282:?DE 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D] w@H6G6C[ $6G6C:?@ D2:5 DE2E6 2?5 =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED 369:?5 E96 =2HDF:ED 2C6 D66<:?8 E@ 5C2H @FE =682= AC@46DD6D 282:?DE 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D :? @C56C E@ 92C> E96 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAm“*@F :?46?E:G:K6 E96 A2CE:6D E@ 92G6 E@ D6EE=6 2?5 A2J @FE 3642FD6 E96 4@DE @7 4@?E:?F:?8 E96 =:E:82E:@? :D D:>A=J D@ 2DEC@?@>:42=[” $6G6C:?@ D2:5] “%96 52J :? 4@FCE :D ?@E 7C66[ 2?5 :E :D 23D@=FE6=J A2CE @7 2 DEC2E68J E@ >2<6 6?6C8J 4@>A2?:6D A2J 2 AC24E:42= 42C3@? E2I[ 6G6? :7 :EVD ?@E 2? @77:4:2= @?6]”k^Am
kAmx?D=66 2C8F65 E92E 4@FCED >FDE E2<6 @? C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ >:E:82E6 E96 67764ED @7 4=:>2E6 492?86] w6 D2:5 E96 6I64FE:G6 3C2?49 2?5 r@?8C6DD 92G6 ?@E 5@?6 6?@F89 E@ C68F=2E6 E96 :?5FDECJ] k^Am
kAmQpE E9:D G6CJ >@>6?E[ E96 6I64FE:G6 2?5 E96 r@?8C6DD :D 5@:?8 6G6CJE9:?8 9F>2?6=J A@DD:3=6 E@ 56DEC@J @FC 23:=:EJ E@ 562= H:E9 E9:D 5646AE:@? 2?5 E9:D 7C2F5[Q x?D=66 D2:5] k^Am
kAm!9:= v@=536C8[ DA64:2= 4@F?D6= 7@C E96 |2?F724EFC6CDV p44@F?E23:=:EJ !C@;64E[ D2:5 96 H2D 8=25 E@ D66 ;FDE:46D @? E96 9:89 4@FCE C64@8?:K6 E96 DH66A:?8 4@?D6BF6?46D :? E96 42D6 2?5 9@A6D 7@C 2? @FE4@>6 :? 72G@C @7 $F?4@C t?6C8J]k^Am
kAm“%96 ;FDE:46D C64@8?:K65 E92E E96 4=2:>D :? E9:D 42D6 8@ 72C 36J@?5 4@?5F4E :? 2?J @?6 DE2E6[ H9:49 :D H9J E9:D =2HDF:E :D :?96C6?E=J 23@FE :?E6CDE2E6 2?5 8=@32= 6>:DD:@?D[” v@=536C8 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E E@ %96 r6?E6C $BF2C6] “(6 2C6 9@A67F= E92E E96 r@FCE’D 7@4FD @? E96 7F?52>6?E2= AC@3=6>D H:E9 4=:>2E6 =:23:=:EJ H:== =625 :E E@ 4=2C:7J E92E E96 8@G6C?2?46 @7 :?E6CDE2E6 4=:>2E6 6>:DD:@?D 36=@?8D H:E9 7656C2= A@=:4J>2<6CD[ ?@E DE2E6 4@FCED]”k^Am
