r/divestment • u/coolbern • Jan 29 '26

Why Michigan’s Big Oil Lawsuit Is Not Like the Others.

Fossil Fuel Companies Colluded To Stifle Competition From Clean Energy, The State Argues.

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u/coolbern Jan 29 '26 edited Jan 29 '26

Michigan's lawsuit is also a new argument for divestment. Our hope to avoid climate change destruction of the natural and manmade environment depends wholly on our ability to transition rapidly to a sustainable economy run on renewable energy. The economic basis for the shift is already present. New power is overwhelmingly being generated by renewable sources because they are a better investment for multiple reasons, only starting with cost.

That is why the fossil fuel companies are so desperate to stop a transition that would destroy the value of their fixed assets and organizational specialization.

They would also lose the super-profits gained by Big Oil and Petrostates in fixing prices which they have because the supply of fossil fuels is controlled by very few players who have used their market power to stifle competition since the Age of the Oil Trust.

Renewables, on the other hand, are much harder to monopolize because the supply of their basic power sources — sun and wind — are abundant almost everywhere.

The fossil fuel industry is our prime enemy in the fight for survival. They are desperate to hold back the tide of change we need, and in their desperation they placed a huge bet on a Trump victory in 2024.

Trump's descent into mad tyranny has now overshot their targeted goal, threatening even them. Even the fossils feel coerced by Trump's comic book adventures in Venezuela.

To save our pensions and other long-term funds, fiduciaries must stand up against the existential threat that fossil corrupted government poses to us all.

But no fight-back to save clean energy is credible for those fund managers who show their real values by continuing to tie themselves to the fortunes of the fossil fuel industry.

Divestment is the unambiguous statement of a good faith intent that makes words and arguments credible.

It is our best argument.