Big oil companies have known since the 1970's that their fossil fuel products could cause catastrophic consequences, but they lied to the public to protect their profits. Today, Coloradans are paying for the fallout of that deception.
Climate change today can look like:
- Extreme heat and drought
- Increased wildfire risk
- Poor air quality
- Declining snowpacks
- Rising insurance and energy bills
A 2026 study by the Colorado Fiscal Institute shows that preparing for and responding to climate damages will cost Coloradans over ~$50 billion by 2050.
This exorbitant cost underscores the importance of implementing adaptation strategies alongside ongoing mitigation efforts. For Western states like Colorado, adaptation looks like updating infrastructure to deal with abnormally dry conditions and increased wildfire risk, public lands and farmland conservation and increasing green spaces, and more efficient water and irrigation systems or water-wise landscaping. Learn more about what adaptation and mitigation are here.
Climate change has already cost Coloradans physically, emotionally, and economically, as disasters continue to make headlines in every corner of the state. It is time we invest in strategies to ensure we can be resilient.
Individuals shouldn’t have to foot the bill for responding to these climate impacts and cleaning up the mess Big Oil made either. To fight back, states like Vermont and New York have passed climate superfund laws which require the world’s biggest oil and gas companies to pay for the damage their product has caused. Here in Colorado, the City of Boulder and Boulder County have filed an amicus brief in the matter of Suncor v. Boulder which pushes back on fossil fuel producers’ attempts to preempt state law and avoid accountability for injuries caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Big Oil knows they are responsible. Right now, they are proactively fighting in Congress to get immunity from these laws and lawsuits (Ex: Suncor v. Boulder) that seek to hold them accountable. Just like we hold Big Tobacco accountable for health impacts of their product, so must Big Oil be held accountable for theirs. It is simple: if you make a mess, you must clean it up.
Together we can shift the cost of climate damages back from taxpayers and everyday people to the corporations who knowingly caused harm to turn a profit. With your support, Colorado can join the movement to make polluters pay.
Unsure how to get involved? Fill out our volunteer interest form to join us in this effort and check out and share our Big Oil Accountability one pager.
Send a message to your Representatives urging them to reject big oil immunity! If Representative Jeff Hurd is your Congressman, watch the video below and let him know he should side with Coloradans over big corporations.
Colorado Climate Disasters
