Oil Drilling is
Fueling the Flames
of California’s Climate Crisis
MAKE POLLUTERS PAY!
BIG OIL SHOULD BEAR THE COST OF CLIMATE CHANGE — NoT CALIFORNIANS
Forced evacuations.
Thousands of families displaced.
Homes and businesses destroyed.
Pollution choking the air in our neighborhoods.
Our kids playing under orange skies.
Worrying about the safety of our loved ones.
Lives lost.
For decades, Big Oil has profited off polluting our planet, knowing full well the catastrophic consequences, and leaving Californians to bear the brunt of their destruction. By 2050, costs for damages from extreme climate disasters are estimated to be $113 billion per year.
This isn’t just about the environment — it’s about justice. Every single one of us in California has a story about how climate-driven wildfires affect us personally, and families shouldn’t have to shoulder the cost of rebuilding their lives alone.
Big Oil is fueling the flames. Enough is enough. It’s time for polluters to pay for the damages they’ve caused.
California is ground zero for climate change; deadly heat, extreme drought and devastating fires all threaten our health, our safety and our future.
Extracting and burning fossil fuels caused this crisis, creating hotter and drier conditions that make California fires bigger and faster-moving.
California’s oil is among the most climate-damaging in the world, while our communities are forced to flee from their homes, and breathe health-harming pollution from oil drilling and from the toxic smoke of deadly fires.
Big Oil has known for decades that their pollution was driving the climate crisis. It is time to hold greedy fossil fuel companies accountable for the havoc they have wrought.
Learn More — Watch Our Video
Fast Facts
- Since 1950, the area burned by California wildfires each year has been increasing due to climate change
- In the last ten years, 1 of every 8 acres in California has burned–double the acres that burned during the previous decade.
- In 2019, California’s crude oil produced more carbon per barrel than the notoriously dirty Canadian tar sands crude refined in the state.
- By 2050, costs for damages from extreme climate disasters are estimated to be $113 billion per year.
Community Resilience Hub
It’s on the California legislature and Gov. Newsom to address the root cause of California’s climate crisis and make polluters pay. But we also need to take care of ourselves, our families, and our communities. Here are a few resources to get your started.
Support communities impacted by the LA Fires:
- Mutual Aid LA has compiled a list of resources to support individuals, share volunteer needs, and more.
- Help families of color and POC-owned businesses rebuild by donating to their personal recovery efforts and supplemental needs:
- Support the Music and Arts community by visiting the Fire Loss Funding directory.
- Check out CA vs. Big Oil’s list of resources and support for the SoCal wildfires for ways to help.
For those in areas with high fire risk:
To protect yourself from wildfire smoke:
- Check out this guidance from 350 Sacramento.
- Watch this video from Climate Smart Missoula on how to make a DIY protective air filter.
In periods of extreme heat, a cooling center may be open near you:
- Many California counties and cities maintain directories of cooling centers, places with reliable AC, like these for LA County and Kern County.
- Check your county’s website for local information.
Wildfires Factsheet from 350 Sacramento:
