Democracy Now reports on a lawsuit filed by an Inupiat Eskimo village in Alaska that accuses big oil companies of contributing to global warming.

The 400 residents of Kivalina are being forced to relocate their community due to erosion from the Chukchi Sea. They blame ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP, ConocoPhillips and Peabody and other energy companies for causing the sea ice to melt.

"Here, we have a perfect plaintiff: they have federal law standing to sue for injuries to their village, because they’re a Native tribe—it does not have to be a class action—and they have sustained the most direct kind of injury and of interest from global warming," attorney Steve Sussman says.

The federal government says it will cost up to $300 million to relocate the village.

Get the Story:
Groundbreaking Lawsuit Accuses Big Oil of Conspiracy to Deceive Public About Climate Change (Democracy Now 7/3)

Relevant Documents:
Complaint: Kivalina v. ExxonMobil

Related Stories:
Native village sues energy companies over erosion (2/27)