In 2009 Maxine Burkett, a law professor at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, coined the phrase “climate reparations,” the understanding of climate change as a monumental injustice that needs to be addressed into law and policy. Her article followed the Native Village of Kivalina v. ExxonMobil case in 2008, in which the residents of Kivalina, Alaska attempted to hold Exxon accountable for its role in destroying their home. This was the precursor to many climate liability cases happening now.
Learn more from the Hot Take podcast episode hosted by Mary Annaïse Heglar and Amy Westervelt.