Climate attribution science faces coordinated assault from fossil fuel interests and politicians, scientists organize defense

A new E&E News investigation reveals a multi-front campaign targeting climate attribution science, the field that connects extreme weather events to fossil fuel emissions. The Trump administration, congressional Republicans, and Republican attorneys general are working alongside fossil fuel interests to cut research funding, push immunity legislation, and challenge the admissibility of attribution evidence in court. Scientists from the Union of Concerned Scientists, Texas A&M, and Dartmouth are organizing a coordinated defense. They are building a network of pro bono expert witnesses and a clearinghouse of peer-reviewed research indexed against legal standards. The outcome of this fight will determine whether cities and states can use attribution science in climate damages cases against fossil fuel companies, with billions of dollars in adaptation costs at stake.