Here’s a story that’s actually rather sad: a village in Alaska, which is being forced to move due to flooding, has brought a lawsuit against a number of oil companies, 14 power companies and a coal company, blaming them for the global warming that has caused the encroaching waters, once blocked by now-melted ice.

The town, called Kivalina, also accuses the companies of conspiracy, according to the New York Times:

“There has been a long campaign by power, coal and oil companies to mislead the public about the science of global warming,” the suit says. The campaign, it says, contributed “to the public nuisance of global warming by convincing the public at large and the victims of global warming that the process is not man-made when in fact it is.”

The village is seeking damages.

• Drax spanks £50 million on biomass power plant
• Shadow environment secretary’s ‘climate change rant’
• How much coal is left?
• Scientists warn: Flat oil production threatens world economy
• Fighting climate change: Good for your health & diet
• Will oil prices hit record highs – or crash – in 2012?
• 6 easy ways to start cutting oil consumption now
• How much oil is left?
• In warming climate, smart grid is vital
• Record coal spending not the answer