BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE ROBERT BRULLE, CENTER FOR CLIMATE INTEGRITY, CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, JUSTIN FARRELL, BENJAMIN FRANTA, STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY, NAOMI ORESKES, GEOFFREY SUPRAN, and the UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE AND AFFIRMANCE

The brief asserts that Defendants had actual knowledge of the catastrophic risks of fossil fuel combustion as early as the late 1950s, confirmed through internal research and industry-wide consensus. It details a coordinated strategy to manufacture doubt via public relations campaigns, funding of contrarian scientists, and the use of 'shadow groups' to undermine scientific consensus. The document highlights a contradiction where companies protected their own physical assets from sea-level rise while publicly denying such risks. Finally, it argues that current 'net zero' pledges and natural gas promotions constitute ongoing greenwashing and deception.

• Defendants were aware of the link between fossil fuel combustion and atmospheric CO2 increases as early as the 1950s, with warnings by 1959 that a 10% increase in CO2 could melt icecaps and submerge coastal cities like New York.
• Internal research by Exxon in the late 1970s and early 1980s confirmed the scientific consensus that continued CO2 increases would cause significant global warming by the mid-21st century, with projections that proved remarkably accurate.
• Defendants implemented a deliberate strategy to manufacture scientific uncertainty and delay policy action, contradicting their own internal findings through public relations campaigns and the funding of climate deniers.
• While publicly discrediting climate science, Defendants used that same science to protect their own infrastructure, such as redesigning North Sea platforms and Nova Scotia facilities to account for rising sea levels.

APA

Brulle, R., Farrell, J., Franta, B., Lewandowsky, S., Oreskes, N., & Supran, G. (2023). BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE ROBERT BRULLE, CENTER FOR CLIMATE INTEGRITY, CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, JUSTIN FARRELL, BENJAMIN FRANTA, STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY, NAOMI ORESKES, GEOFFREY SUPRAN, and the UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE AND AFFIRMANCE. Center for Climate Integrity. https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Amici_Brulle_et_al_DC_Circuit_Brief_Support_Appellee.pdf

Chicago

Brulle, Robert, Justin Farrell, Benjamin Franta, Stephan Lewandowsky, Naomi Oreskes, and Geoffrey Supran. BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE ROBERT BRULLE, CENTER FOR CLIMATE INTEGRITY, CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, JUSTIN FARRELL, BENJAMIN FRANTA, STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY, NAOMI ORESKES, GEOFFREY SUPRAN, and the UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE AND AFFIRMANCE. Center for Climate Integrity, 2023. https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Amici_Brulle_et_al_DC_Circuit_Brief_Support_Appellee.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brulle |first1=Robert |last2=Farrell |first2=Justin |last3=Franta |first3=Benjamin |last4=Lewandowsky |first4=Stephan |last5=Oreskes |first5=Naomi |last6=Supran |first6=Geoffrey |title=BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE ROBERT BRULLE, CENTER FOR CLIMATE INTEGRITY, CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, JUSTIN FARRELL, BENJAMIN FRANTA, STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY, NAOMI ORESKES, GEOFFREY SUPRAN, and the UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE AND AFFIRMANCE |publisher=Center for Climate Integrity |date=7 April 2023 |url=https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Amici_Brulle_et_al_DC_Circuit_Brief_Support_Appellee.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brulle2023brief, author = {Brulle, Robert and Farrell, Justin and Franta, Benjamin and Lewandowsky, Stephan and Oreskes, Naomi and Supran, Geoffrey}, title = {{BRIEF OF AMICI CURIAE ROBERT BRULLE, CENTER FOR CLIMATE INTEGRITY, CHESAPEAKE CLIMATE ACTION NETWORK, JUSTIN FARRELL, BENJAMIN FRANTA, STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY, NAOMI ORESKES, GEOFFREY SUPRAN, and the UNION OF CONCERNED SCIENTISTS IN SUPPORT OF PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE AND AFFIRMANCE}}, institution = {Center for Climate Integrity}, year = {2023}, month = apr, url = {https://climateintegrity.org/uploads/media/Amici_Brulle_et_al_DC_Circuit_Brief_Support_Appellee.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }