Well, this is awkward.

Out of all the neighborhoods of the entirety of the United States, one zip code in Colorado’s own Boulder County is responsible for producing the most greenhouse gas emissions per person.  Yes, that same Boulder County that is suing oil and natural gas companies because of said emissions. And yes, the same Boulder County who touts its green credentials.

The Associated Press reports that a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science broke down the per capita fossil fuel use and found that the Boulder County community was far and away the biggest U.S. offender:

“The zip code that produced the most greenhouse gas per person was in the mountains of western Boulder County, where the 23,811 pounds per person is 18 times higher than in the San Francisco zip code.”

The report explained that wealthier areas tend to use far more fossil fuels than less affluent neighborhoods—nearly 25 percent.  And building restrictions are bad for emissions, as more densely populated areas use far less emissions on a per capita basis.

Despite this, political leaders in Boulder have led the state’s charge against the greenhouse emissions, often aimed at the oil and natural gas industry.

Gov. Jared Polis, Senate Majority Leader Steve Fenberg, and House Speaker KC Becker are all hail from Boulder County that since assuming full control of the state government, have passed several bills into law including an overhaul of oil and natural regulations, setting strong targets to reduce emissions by 90 percent by 2050 and generate 100 percent of electricity from renewable sources.

Given their own fossil fuel use problem, which is far more outsized than other areas nationwide, it’s pretty ironic that Boulder County has chosen to place the blame for the entirety of the climate change impacts they are experiencing on two companies: ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy.

The lawsuit goes on to fault these two energy companies for daring to sell their product in Colorado, blaming the “unchecked” use of fossil fuels – which it claims is the responsibility of the companies instead of the users of the product – on leading to climate change. The solution according to Boulder County? These two companies should foot the entirety of the bill.

Notably, if this product is so harmful and will allegedly worsen climate change in the future as Boulder residents continue to use this resource, one would think that such a lawsuit would ask that the companies stop selling said product? Nope.

“Plaintiffs are not asking this Court to stop or regulate the production of fossil fuels in Colorado or elsewhere and they are not asking this Court to stop or regulate emissions in Colorado or elsewhere; they ask only that Defendants help remediate the nuisance caused by their intentional, reckless and negligent conduct, specifically by paying their share of the Plaintiffs’ abatement costs.”

Boulder County residents use far more fossil fuels than the average Coloradoan and/or American.  This outsized use is usually seen in wealthier communities who use far more electricity and natural gas to heat and cool larger homes.  Instead of downsizing or curbing their own use of a resource responsible for creating the modern way of life we know today, they want to place all the blame for the results and consequences on two energy companies.

So, Boulder talks a big game on the environment and loves to demonize the fossil fuel industry, but maybe Boulder’s actual issue with greenhouse gas emissions… is Boulder?