Scorched Earth

Inside the Epic Battle Between Steven Donzinger and Chevron

De: David Sirota

Narrado por: David Sirota

In 2011, an Ecuadorian court issued a landmark $9.5 billion judgment against Chevron for decades of oil pollution in the Amazon rainforest. The ruling was celebrated as a historic win for Indigenous communities—and for the New York-based lawyer who helped lead the case, Steven Donziger.

But Chevron never paid. Instead, the company fought back, accusing Donziger of fraud and waging an aggressive legal campaign that would ultimately leave him disbarred and under house arrest.

Scorched Earth traces the twists and turns of this extraordinary transnational battle: from oil fields in the rainforest to film festivals in Utah to courtrooms in New York, from a celebrated David-versus-Goliath victory to one of the most controversial corporate counterattacks in recent memory. Along the way, exploring the broader stakes—how American law can be weaponized, what accountability looks like in the climate change era, and where the line is drawn between righteous advocacy and misconduct.

At the center of it all is Donziger himself. Cast by some as a crusader who stood up to Big Oil; to others, as a lawyer who crossed ethical boundaries. Scorched Earth ultimately asks: in this high-stakes battle, who is the villain? And are there any heroes?

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