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fuel products, several of whom may have deliberately misled the taxpaying public about how much harm those products would do to communities and their environment? I think the answer is straightforward, but at the very least, let’s allow juries to decide the matter. That’s the purpose and promise of the civil justice system and the right to trial by jury, which is enshrined as the 7 th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Miami Living: What lessons from your previous legal work, including your Oregon heat dome lawsuit, can be applied to possible future legal actions in Florida? Jeffrey B. Simon: Experts in the science of climate attribution study whether and where particular weather events are caused or worsened by carbon pollution rather than by natural climate variations. When Floridians experience extreme weather events that cause great harm, which unfortunately they have and will again, climate scientists will look to determine whether those events were human-made versus natural phenomenon. If human-made, governmental entities that are charged with duties to protect public safety and to conserve taxpayer money should consider whether the use of the civil justice system to hold carbon polluters financially accountable is an appropriate option for fulfilling those duties. Miami Living: What actions do you think regular folks, like Miami residents, can take to support legal actions against fossil fuel companies? Jeffrey B. Simon: Only support and vote for political candidates who tell the truth about human-made climate change and advocate for corrective action. Human-made climate change, sometimes called anthropogenic climate change, is demonstrable scientific fact, as certain as gravity. If I step off a roof, I will fall to the ground, irrespective of how I “feel” about gravity, or whether some PhD has been paid by a front group or lobbyist to deny its existence. The same is true about the fact that the burning of fossil fuels has caused a near doubling of the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere, which in turn blocks the dispersion of solar heat that’s reflected from the planet’s surface. That heat is then pushed down upon all of us, thus warming the planet surface and causing a heat-energy imbalance that yields radical and extreme weather patterns. And the problem is growing worse because we continue to burn fossil fuel products at a high rate and the carbon pollution that’s spewed from those products remains in the atmosphere for hundreds of years. DEMAND from your lawmakers that they pursue corrective action through legislation and that they oppose any “tort reform” or other legislation that’s calculated to immunize corporate wrongdoers from being held financially accountable in the civil justice system. Miami Living: On a personal note, can you share some of your personal passions and your thoughts about Miami? What do you enjoy doing the most when you are not working? Jeffrey B. Simon: My wife and I love Miami, especially South Beach, and have vacationed there many times. In addition to its great beauty, Miami is a cultural melting pot that exemplifies and edifies the best of the American experience. We find that Miami is an incredible place to live or visit only for those who like any of the following: sun, beaches, boating, fishing, sports, art, kindness, culture, music, rum, cigars, fashion, or fine cuisine. Connect with Jeffrey B. Simon: jeffreybsimon.com www.instagram.com/jeffreybsimon.official Interview by Morgan Harms. Images courtesy of Jeffrey B. Simon