AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from Ars Technica, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

---

Internal files released in a Massachusetts lawsuit against ExxonMobil add to evidence of a long-term deception campaign regarding climate change. These documents, part of a batch previously undisclosed, include warnings from Frank Sprow in 1988 that a worldwide consensus on greenhouse gas effects could negatively impact the company. They also contain recent statements from Exxon scientists challenging the feasibility of its public claims about biofuels and carbon capture technology. Experts say these records provide new details on internal deliberations from the 1980s to the 2010s, aligning with hundreds of other confidential files already reported by news organizations and legal sources.

The release occurs as the US Supreme Court considers whether to halt a Colorado lawsuit against oil companies. Aaron Regunberg of Public Citizen stated that these documents show Exxon is scared of the public finding out about its reality and suggests there may be many more reports they are hiding. The state attorney general argues Exxon deceived consumers and investors into believing it was taking real action to limit warming, when efforts were mostly public relations. The company denies misleading anyone, calling the legal theories meritless in an annual securities filing.

Specific documents reveal that Exxon scientists admitted its 2018 press release claiming 10,000 barrels of algae biofuel per day by 2025 was misleading and patently false. Another scientist described a research breakthrough as a dead end and noted that early carbon capture technology had nothing to do with the industrial solutions the company promoted later. Internal presentations from 2014 and 2017 highlighted challenges like massive investment needs and high costs, yet advertisements continued to portray these efforts as "All-Around Winners." A 2021 presentation aimed to make people believe ExxonMobil was committed to solving climate change through carbon capture.