Fact Check: TotalEnergies Offshore Wind Lawsuit Alleges Giant Air Bubbles Scare Fish, Video Claims Company Pumping Carbon Dioxide Into Ocean - Rumor or Real?
A viral video claims that a new "totalenergies offshore wind lawsuit" alleges the company is pumping carbon dioxide into the ocean near its wind farms, creating giant air bubbles that scare fish and harm marine ecosystems. The video, shared thousands of times on social media, cites a class-action lawsuit filed by a group of fishermen in France. The explosive claim suggests the bubbles are an intentional cover for illegal geoengineering, with some posts falsely tying it to recent whale strandings.
**Fact Check: The Truth Behind the Claim**
The viral video is **FAKE** and contains multiple layers of misinformation. While there is an active legal dispute involving TotalEnergies and offshore wind, the lawsuit does not allege CO2 pumping or giant bubbles. What is real: In March 2025, the French NGO "Les Amis de la Terre" (Friends of the Earth) and a local fishing collective filed a lawsuit against TotalEnergies, challenging its offshore wind project off the coast of Brittany over insufficient environmental impact studies. The lawsuit specifically concerns noise pollution from pile-driving foundation installation and the risk of habitat disruption to protected species like the harbor porpoise, *not* carbon dioxide injection or bubble formations.
The "giant air bubbles" and CO2 claims stem from a doctored image of TotalEnergies' *gas storage facility* at Le Havre, which uses compressed air for pressure management—unrelated to wind energy or the lawsuit. There is zero evidence of any court documents mentioning "bubbles" or "carbon dioxide pumping" in relation to its offshore wind operations. The recent whale beachings are linked to naval sonar exercises by other nations, not TotalEnergies.
**Conclusion: Rumor or Real?**
**Rumor.** The "totalenergies offshore wind lawsuit" is a real legal case