the paris accord it puts a greater burden on states to take action and naming exxon mobil chevron b.p. and royal dutch shell among fourteen defendants our state attorney general did just that charging that big oil knew for decades that greenhouse gas pollution from their operations and their products were having a significant and detrimental impact on the earth's climate how detrimental let's ask dr riess holter an eco stress physiologist specializing in earth's life support systems he is the author of among other books save nature now respect you for being here. it good evening the rhode island suit accuses big oil companies of refuting scientific findings about greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuel products violates the state's environmental rights by polluting natural resources and wants companies to pay for damages citing cost to repair roads and bridges and to rebuild coastal structures riess tiny rhode island has four hundred miles of coastline so we're not crying wolf about rising sea levels are we how real is this still rep very real whole and the oh it's the ocean state and look when you think