Oil companies have known about their enormous and “catastrophic” contribution to climate change since the 1950s. They lied about it for as long as they could and are now lying about their newfound commitment to solving the problem they created. Who will hold them accountable? Melissa “Missy” Sims, a lawyer from Illinois, is currently representing 52 Puerto Rican municipalities against Big Oil for hurricane-related damages caused by the climate crisis. Richard Wiles is the president of the Center for Climate Integrity, which helps state and local elected leaders, including state attorneys generals hold Big Oil companies accountable for climate damages through litigation.

In today’s episode, Ken, Missy and Richard talk about how they got to the front lines of protecting our planet by working together on a mission to sue Big Oil and what their hope for the future looks like.

Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:

She’s on a Mission From: God Suing Big Oil Companies for Damages

Center for Climate Integrity

The Global Climate Science Communications Action Plan “The Victory Memo”

T.I.N.A. Group Sceanarios 1998

Exxon’s 1978 report “The Greenhouse Effect”

Exxon’s 1979 report “Controlling Atmospheric CO2”

Exxon's 2019 Corporate Strategic Planning memorandum

Shell’s 2020 “Let’s Talk Energy Transition” emails and deck

House Oversight documents reveal Big Oil’s “greenwashing” climate claims to hide investments in fossil fuels

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

Local businesses and local farms are being lost in this era of monopolizing America’s food system, but the food industry didn’t become corrupt overnight. In today’s episode, Ken is joined by Austin Frerick, expert on agricultural and antitrust policy.

His debut book, “Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry” profiles a series of powerful magnates to illustrate the concentration of power in the food system. Policy language used effectively by the food industry is designed to wall people off, Austin’s book let’s people in.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Austin advised candidates Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Pete Buttigieg on agricultural policy before ultimately serving as Co-Chair of the Biden campaign’s Agriculture Antitrust Policy Committee. He now works at Yale University, collaborating on research related to competition policy and antitrust enforcement.

Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:

“Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America's Food Industry”

EWG's Meat And Dairy Product Labels Decoder

EWG’s quick tips for reducing your diet's climate footprint

EWG’s Meat Eater’s Guide to Climate & Health

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup

In a recent New Yorker article, investigative reporter Sharon Lerner writes about former 3M scientist Kris Hansen who conducted a study in the 90s where she found PFAs forever chemicals in the general public's blood. 3M executives told her PFAS chemicals weren't harmful, she believed them. Decades later she would learn the truth about the serious risks of PFAS exposure, and why she decided to speak out against the company she worked at for decades.

We are aware of the harmful effects of PFAs because of Professor Philippe Grandjean, a Danish Toxicologist. In the first part of today’s episode, Ken is joined by Sharon Lerner and talks about the human experience 3m scientist Kris Hansen has gone through since finding out her employer lied to her and the general public for decades. Sharon Lerner refers to Professor Philippe Grandjean’s groundbreaking work in her article and in the second part of today’s episode, Ken is joined by Professor Grandjean to speak about one of his own articles that explores the vested interest in keeping facts about chemical exposure a secret from the public.

Want a deeper dive on today’s episode? Check out the links below:

How 3M Discovered, Then Concealed, the Dangers of Forever Chemicals (The New Yorker)
Sharon Lerner's work at ProPublica

Is Pollution Value-Maximizing? The Dupont Case (National Bureau Of Economic Research)

Paracelsus Revisited: The Dose Concept in a Complex World

EWG’s PFAS resources

Lead: Celebrate its ban, but don't cross it off your list (EWG)

Ken Cook Is Having Another Episode every other week.

@kencookspodcast

www.ewg.org

@environmentalworkinggroup