Subject: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

"Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/06/ghostwriters-for-the-courts-the-climate-litigation-network-behind-a-withdrawn-judicial-manual/

"Late last year the federal judiciary quietly released a document that
almost nobody outside legal circles normally notices: the fourth edition
of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. Within weeks one section
of that manual vanished."

"The fourth edition, released on December 31, 2025, contained a new
element: a chapter devoted entirely to climate science. That chapter ran roughly ninety pages and attempted to explain the fundamentals of
climate research and the emerging field of climate attribution."

"Within weeks it became the center of a political and legal storm."

"In January 2026 a coalition of 23 state attorneys general sent a letter
to the judiciary raising concerns that the chapter presented contested scientific issues as settled fact. Members of Congress soon followed
with similar objections."

"Courts across the United States are currently handling dozens of
lawsuits filed by states and municipalities seeking to hold fossil-fuel companies financially responsible for alleged climate damages. Those
cases rely heavily on scientific claims about causation?claims the
manual was now summarizing for judges."

"In other words, the manual was explaining the very science at the
center of ongoing litigation."

"Bloomberg Law reported that critics believed the chapter risked
?predisposing federal judges in favor of plaintiffs alleging injuries
from fossil fuel production.?"

Can you imagine one third of our electric bills going to various lawyers across the USA, just like the cigarette settlements 30 years ago ?

Lynn


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 00:02:44 -0600, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

"Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a >Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/06/ghostwriters-for-the-courts-the-c limate-litigation-network-behind-a-withdrawn-judicial-manual/

"Late last year the federal judiciary quietly released a document that >almost nobody outside legal circles normally notices: the fourth edition

of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. Within weeks one section

of that manual vanished."

"The fourth edition, released on December 31, 2025, contained a new
element: a chapter devoted entirely to climate science. That chapter ran

roughly ninety pages and attempted to explain the fundamentals of
climate research and the emerging field of climate attribution."

"Within weeks it became the center of a political and legal storm."

"In January 2026 a coalition of 23 state attorneys general sent a letter

to the judiciary raising concerns that the chapter presented contested >scientific issues as settled fact. Members of Congress soon followed
with similar objections."

"Courts across the United States are currently handling dozens of
lawsuits filed by states and municipalities seeking to hold fossil-fuel >companies financially responsible for alleged climate damages. Those
cases rely heavily on scientific claims about causation?claims the
manual was now summarizing for judges."

"In other words, the manual was explaining the very science at the
center of ongoing litigation."

"Bloomberg Law reported that critics believed the chapter risked >?predisposing federal judges in favor of plaintiffs alleging injuries
from fossil fuel production.?"

Can you imagine one third of our electric bills going to various lawyers

across the USA, just like the cigarette settlements 30 years ago ?

1/3 of our electric bills aren't going anywhere.

Even if the lawyers are working on commission, they will only get 1/3
if they win; the states and municipalities will get the other 2/3.

Whether that 2/3 reduces our electric bills or is used for some other
purpose remains to be seen.

And I wasn't aware that our electric bills paid 1/3 of the cost of the
tobacco settlements.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On 3/7/2026 9:55 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 00:02:44 -0600, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

"Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a
Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/06/ghostwriters-for-the-courts-the-climate-litigation-network-behind-a-withdrawn-judicial-manual/

"Late last year the federal judiciary quietly released a document that
almost nobody outside legal circles normally notices: the fourth edition
of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. Within weeks one section
of that manual vanished."

"The fourth edition, released on December 31, 2025, contained a new
element: a chapter devoted entirely to climate science. That chapter ran
roughly ninety pages and attempted to explain the fundamentals of
climate research and the emerging field of climate attribution."

"Within weeks it became the center of a political and legal storm."

"In January 2026 a coalition of 23 state attorneys general sent a letter
to the judiciary raising concerns that the chapter presented contested
scientific issues as settled fact. Members of Congress soon followed
with similar objections."

"Courts across the United States are currently handling dozens of
lawsuits filed by states and municipalities seeking to hold fossil-fuel
companies financially responsible for alleged climate damages. Those
cases rely heavily on scientific claims about causation?claims the
manual was now summarizing for judges."

"In other words, the manual was explaining the very science at the
center of ongoing litigation."

"Bloomberg Law reported that critics believed the chapter risked
?predisposing federal judges in favor of plaintiffs alleging injuries
from fossil fuel production.?"

Can you imagine one third of our electric bills going to various lawyers
across the USA, just like the cigarette settlements 30 years ago ?

1/3 of our electric bills aren't going anywhere.

Even if the lawyers are working on commission, they will only get 1/3
if they win; the states and municipalities will get the other 2/3.

Whether that 2/3 reduces our electric bills or is used for some other
purpose remains to be seen.

And I wasn't aware that our electric bills paid 1/3 of the cost of the tobacco settlements.

Nope, one third of the revenue of tobacco sales in the USA go to the
lawyers.

Lynn


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 13:10:48 -0600, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

On 3/7/2026 9:55 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Sat, 7 Mar 2026 00:02:44 -0600, Lynn McGuire
<lynnmcguire5@gmail.com> wrote:

"Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a
Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/03/06/ghostwriters-for-the-courts-the-cl imate-litigation-network-behind-a-withdrawn-judicial-manual/

"Late last year the federal judiciary quietly released a document

that

almost nobody outside legal circles normally notices: the fourth

edition

of the Reference Manual on Scientific Evidence. Within weeks one

section

of that manual vanished."

"The fourth edition, released on December 31, 2025, contained a new
element: a chapter devoted entirely to climate science. That chapter

ran

roughly ninety pages and attempted to explain the fundamentals of
climate research and the emerging field of climate attribution."

"Within weeks it became the center of a political and legal storm."

"In January 2026 a coalition of 23 state attorneys general sent a

letter

to the judiciary raising concerns that the chapter presented

contested

scientific issues as settled fact. Members of Congress soon followed
with similar objections."

"Courts across the United States are currently handling dozens of
lawsuits filed by states and municipalities seeking to hold

fossil-fuel

companies financially responsible for alleged climate damages. Those
cases rely heavily on scientific claims about causation?claims the
manual was now summarizing for judges."

"In other words, the manual was explaining the very science at the
center of ongoing litigation."

"Bloomberg Law reported that critics believed the chapter risked
?predisposing federal judges in favor of plaintiffs alleging

injuries

from fossil fuel production.?"

Can you imagine one third of our electric bills going to various

lawyers

across the USA, just like the cigarette settlements 30 years ago ?

1/3 of our electric bills aren't going anywhere.

Even if the lawyers are working on commission, they will only get 1/3
if they win; the states and municipalities will get the other 2/3.

Whether that 2/3 reduces our electric bills or is used for some other
purpose remains to be seen.

And I wasn't aware that our electric bills paid 1/3 of the cost of the
tobacco settlements.

Nope, one third of the revenue of tobacco sales in the USA go to the >lawyers.

Well, that's what happens when you deliberately lie to people and get
caught.

And the lawyer's cut is as American as apple pie.

But, rereading your post in the light of your response, I suspect you
are saying that, if they win, the settlement will increase fuel
prices, which will (in some areas, not here) increase electric bills,
so that /some/ amount of electric bills (the increase caused by the
settlement) will go to the lawyers.

But it still won't be 1/3 of the bill. It might tend to that as the
increase approaches infinity, I suppose. That is,
limit( % of bill going to lawyers ) is 1/3 when the portion of
the bill from the settlement goes to infinity

At the moment, of course, we are (I have read) dealing with increases
having nothing whatsoever to do with these lawsuits. Guess who's
responsible for /that/?

Hint: not the late Ayotallah, or anyone in Iran.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.12
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:36:29 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

At the moment, of course, we are (I have read) dealing with increases
having nothing whatsoever to do with these lawsuits. Guess who's
responsible for /that/?

Hint: not the late Ayotallah, or anyone in Iran.

With all due respect, it is people in Iran who decided to shoot at
peaceful merchant ships in international waters, specifically the Strait
of Hormuz.
Of course, it is true that this is a response that could reasonably have
been anticipated.
And at the moment, the people of Iran are still ruled over by the regime
of the Ayatollahs, and not a joint U.S.-Israeli occupation force. Until
there is some prospect of that changing, all this war will have done is
make them mad. (Yes, in the very short term, it's also degraded some of
their capabilities. That is, however, not enough.)

John Savard

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 04:42:56 -0000 (UTC), quadi <quadibloc@ca.invalid>
wrote:

On Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:36:29 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

At the moment, of course, we are (I have read) dealing with increases
having nothing whatsoever to do with these lawsuits. Guess who's
responsible for /that/?

Hint: not the late Ayotallah, or anyone in Iran.

With all due respect, it is people in Iran who decided to shoot at
peaceful merchant ships in international waters, specifically the Strait

of Hormuz.
Of course, it is true that this is a response that could reasonably have

been anticipated.
And at the moment, the people of Iran are still ruled over by the regime

of the Ayatollahs, and not a joint U.S.-Israeli occupation force. Until >there is some prospect of that changing, all this war will have done is
make them mad. (Yes, in the very short term, it's also degraded some of >their capabilities. That is, however, not enough.)

You are writing as if the time line were:
1. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.
2. USA/Israel attack Iran.

In point of fact, the time line is:
1. Israel/USA attack Iran for no good reason.
2. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.

When you /start a war/, you become responsible for /everything that
happens/. So Israel/USA are responsible for the Iranian response.

BTW, they /should/ be ruled over by the Ayatollahs. They voted for
this way back when. They wanted it, they got it, and they will fight
for it, for it is their chosen way.

None of which makes Iran's chosen way admirable or acceptable to
civilized people. People in, say, Canada. People in some States. But
not people in the USA on the National level.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:

You are writing as if the time line were:
1. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.
2. USA/Israel attack Iran.

In point of fact, the time line is:
1. Israel/USA attack Iran for no good reason.
2. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.

Note that Israel and the USA attacked Iran a few weeks after the Iranian government killed 3,000 dissidents. After the initial attack, the American president invited the Iranian people to take over their government, which
might have been a reasonable invitation a month earlier. Bad timing. If you're going to invade to support a dissident population, you need to do it before rather than after they get killed off.

I'm certainly in favor of regime change in places like Iran and Venezuela
but you can't just drop bombs and kill leaders and expect everything to suddenly change by magic.

I think this is part of Trump's belief in individual leaders rather than organizations. He doesn't get the notion that countries don't have friends, they only have allies. This sort of thing would have been reasonable for diplomats before WWI, but the world has changed since the Hapsburgs and Hohenzollerns were in charge.
--scott

--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

quadi wrote:

On Sun, 08 Mar 2026 09:36:29 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

At the moment, of course, we are (I have read) dealing with increases
having nothing whatsoever to do with these lawsuits. Guess who's
responsible for /that/?

Hint: not the late Ayotallah, or anyone in Iran.

With all due respect, it is people in Iran who decided to shoot at
peaceful merchant ships in international waters, specifically the Strait
of Hormuz.
Of course, it is true that this is a response that could reasonably have
been anticipated.

It was an absolute certainty that Iran would attempt to strangle oil and
gas from the gulf. Only the most incompetent of administrations could
be surprised by this.

We can be sure that the administration did not know that the gulf
nations also export a large fraction of the world's principal
ingredients for fertilizer, which will cause US farmers more distress as fertilizer exports from Canada have been threatened with tariffs (they
are exempt under CUMSA, but that doesn't matter to Trump, and CUMSA may
be gone soon anyway). With the southern trade uncertain, Canadian
exporters will be only too happy to divert supply to the more lucrative
world market.

We can be also quite sure that nobody in the administration knew that a
large fraction of the world's exported aluminum also flows from the
gulf. And with a 50% tariff on the import of Canadian aluminum, the US
is facing steep price increased there, also.

I am somewhat surprised that a wave of terrorist attacks has not begun.
Either western security services are doing a very good job indeed, or
Iran has decided that such actions are a net negative. In either case
it's good news.

And at the moment, the people of Iran are still ruled over by the regime
of the Ayatollahs, and not a joint U.S.-Israeli occupation force. Until
there is some prospect of that changing, all this war will have done is
make them mad. (Yes, in the very short term, it's also degraded some of
their capabilities. That is, however, not enough.)

The Epstein war has no such objectives.

William Hyde


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On 16/03/2026 05:25, Scott Dorsey wrote:

Paul S Person <psperson@old.netcom.invalid> wrote:

You are writing as if the time line were:
1. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.
2. USA/Israel attack Iran.

In point of fact, the time line is:
1. Israel/USA attack Iran for no good reason.
2. Iran closes the Straits of Hormuz.

Note that Israel and the USA attacked Iran a few weeks after the Iranian government killed 3,000 dissidents. After the initial attack, the American president invited the Iranian people to take over their government, which might have been a reasonable invitation a month earlier. Bad timing. If you're going to invade to support a dissident population, you need to do it before rather than after they get killed off.

Too late for Palestinians then?

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:03:45 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

When you /start a war/, you become responsible for /everything that
happens/. So Israel/USA are responsible for the Iranian response.

In that case, I guess Israel is off the hook for all those dead civilians
in the Gaza Strip, because of what Hamas did on October 7th of last year.

In other words, in my nit-picking insistence on consistency, I claim that
it doesn't work that way.

It is true the closure of the Straits of Hormuz was... something that
could easily be anticipated. So I'm not saying that Trump isn't to blame
to a certain, even large, extent - but the Iran regime may legitimately
and fairly also be held accountable for its decision to violate
international law as well.

John Savard

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:03:45 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

None of which makes Iran's chosen way admirable or acceptable to
civilized people. People in, say, Canada. People in some States. But not people in the USA on the National level.

Just as, despite the fact that Trump got elected President, there are some civilized people in the United States... there are some civilized people
in Iran. Since I care about civilized people more than uncivilized ones,
I'm OK with regime change. Just bombing the place and hoping some good
will come of it, though, isn't what I root for.

John Savard

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"



On 3/15/26 22:50, quadi wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:03:45 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

When you /start a war/, you become responsible for /everything that
happens/. So Israel/USA are responsible for the Iranian response.

In that case, I guess Israel is off the hook for all those dead civilians
in the Gaza Strip, because of what Hamas did on October 7th of last year.

In other words, in my nit-picking insistence on consistency, I claim that
it doesn't work that way.

It is true the closure of the Straits of Hormuz was... something that
could easily be anticipated. So I'm not saying that Trump isn't to blame
to a certain, even large, extent - but the Iran regime may legitimately
and fairly also be held accountable for its decision to violate
international law as well.

John Savard

The USA has been at war with the Iranian people when they overthrew via the CIA the popular and nationalistic prime minister Mohammed Mosadegh and restored the Shah. <https://asiasociety.org/education/iran-20th-century>

And it was then all about the oil! Why did the first Islamic Revolution
happen there? Because of the oil, what a curse...

bliss

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:43:45 -0700, Bobbie Sellers <bliss-sf4ever@dslextreme.com> wrote:

On 3/15/26 22:50, quadi wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:03:45 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

When you /start a war/, you become responsible for /everything that
happens/. So Israel/USA are responsible for the Iranian response.

In that case, I guess Israel is off the hook for all those dead

civilians

in the Gaza Strip, because of what Hamas did on October 7th of last

year.

In other words, in my nit-picking insistence on consistency, I claim

that

it doesn't work that way.

It is true the closure of the Straits of Hormuz was... something that
could easily be anticipated. So I'm not saying that Trump isn't to

blame

to a certain, even large, extent - but the Iran regime may

legitimately

and fairly also be held accountable for its decision to violate
international law as well.

The USA has been at war with the Iranian people when they overthrew via
the CIA the popular and nationalistic prime minister Mohammed Mosadegh

and

restored the Shah.

<https://asiasociety.org/education/iran-20th-century>

And it was then all about the oil! Why did the first Islamic

Revolution

happen there? Because of the oil, what a curse...

Of course it was "all about the oil".

It is always "all about the oil" whether it actually /is/ about the
oil or not.

This is the sign of fanaticism: the same cause produces all effects.
Works for oil, works for gun control, works for MAGA.

The only problem is: if you investigate the Logic construct
"implication", you will find that the /only/ statement that implies
all others is a false statement.

So your statement is false, when taken as always true in the Middle
East.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"

--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)

Subject: Re: "Ghostwriters for the Courts: The Climate Litigation Network Behind a Withdrawn Judicial Manual"

On 3/16/2026 2:43 AM, Bobbie Sellers wrote:

On 3/15/26 22:50, quadi wrote:

On Sun, 15 Mar 2026 09:03:45 -0700, Paul S Person wrote:

When you /start a war/, you become responsible for /everything that
happens/. So Israel/USA are responsible for the Iranian response.

In that case, I guess Israel is off the hook for all those dead civilians
in the Gaza Strip, because of what Hamas did on October 7th of last year.

In other words, in my nit-picking insistence on consistency, I claim that
it doesn't work that way.

It is true the closure of the Straits of Hormuz was... something that
could easily be anticipated. So I'm not saying that Trump isn't to blame
to a certain, even large, extent - but the Iran regime may legitimately
and fairly also be held accountable for its decision to violate
international law as well.

John Savard

ÿÿÿÿThe USA has been at war with the Iranian people when they overthrew
via
the CIA the popular and nationalistic prime minister Mohammed Mosadegh and restored the Shah.ÿ <https://asiasociety.org/education/iran-20th-century>

ÿÿÿÿAnd it was then all about the oil!ÿ Why did the first Islamic Revolution
happen there?ÿ Because of the oil, what a curse...

ÿÿÿÿbliss

All wars are about resources.

Lynn


--- PyGate Linux v1.5.13
* Origin: Dragon's Lair, PyGate NNTP<>Fido Gate (3:633/10)