California sues carmakers over global warming
Reuters is running a story California sues carmakers over global warming.
California sued six of the world’s largest automakers over global warming on Wednesday, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have caused billions of dollars in damages.
The lawsuit is the first of its kind to seek to hold manufacturers liable for the damages caused by their vehicles’ emissions, state Attorney General Bill Lockyer said.
It comes less than a month after California lawmakers adopted the nation’s first global warming law mandating a cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
California has also targeted the auto industry with first-in-the-nation rules adopted in 2004 requiring carmakers to force cuts in tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks.
Automakers, however, have so far blocked those rules with their own legal action — prompting one analyst to say California’s lawsuit represents a way for California to pressure car manufacturers to accept the rules.
It’s hard to say what the outcome of this will be but you can be sure it’s just a start. As businesses are incurring more and more costs directly attributable to global warming, it’s only natural they’ll be looking to recover those costs from industries and people they hold responsible for the damages. The evidence tendered in this case should prove fascinating. Let the games begin! — DS
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