California sues car manufacturers.

[fallout]

California sues car companies over pollution

September 22, 2006

IN A case echoing the landmark litigation against tobacco and fast food companies, California is suing the car giants for damages flowing from climate change.

California, the epicentre of America's love affair with the car, has filed a lawsuit against General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler and Nissan, claiming damages related to such issues as melting snow, rising sea levels, increased ozone depletion and bushfires.

The complaint for damages, filed in the US District Court on Wednesday, does not specify how much compensation the state is seeking. But if the suit is successful, the sums would total hundreds of millions of dollars.

Potentially, this could devastate General Motors and Ford, which are struggling with huge debt, saddled with billions of dollars in costs for pensions and health care, declining sales and soaring raw material costs.

Only this week, ratings agencies Moody's and Standard & Poor's downgraded Ford deeper into junk status.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants produce more than 289 million tonnes of carbon dioxide — more than 20 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions in the US, which, like Australia, has not signed the Kyoto Protocol.

"Right now, global warming is harming California, its environment, its economy, and the health and wellbeing of its citizens," the document says.

"Scientific debate is over: the massive atmospheric increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases resulting from human activity has changed the climate and will further change the climate over the next decades.

"Human-induced global warming has, among other things, reduced California's snow pack (a vital source of fresh water), caused an earlier melting of the snow pack, raised sea levels along California's coastline, increased ozone pollution in urban areas, increased the threat of wildfires, and cost the state millions of dollars in assessing those impacts and preparing for the inevitable increase in those impacts and for additional impacts.

"California's natural resources, including water, snow pack, rivers, streams, wildlife, coastline and air quality have been injured by global warming and face a near certainty of additional future harm."

The lawsuit claims California has already spent millions mitigating damage to water storage and delivery systems.

It also claims that snow levels have been significantly reduced, affecting the water supply and increasing the risk of flooding.

It says some beaches have been closed because of storm surges and erosion, and that the state expects to spend billions to protect the levee system.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/busine...431844127.html

At some point, if I ever build something, I would be sure to include a "not to be used in California" sticker on each one.

[_BullDog_]

Why don't the just outlaw cars in their state.

[fallout]

Originally Posted by _BullDog_

Why don't the just outlaw cars in their state.

How would everyone get to those anti-car protests?

[E. Blackadder]

Perhaps the thing is to sue California as its courts are an attractive nuisance.

Originally Posted by Boston Globe

Lockyer is suing on the theory that greenhouse gases are a ``public nuisance" under both California and federal law, an argument similar to one being pursued in a case before the 2nd US District Court of Appeals in New York. Connecticut and seven other states, including California, have sued five power companies to get them to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The Connecticut lawsuit was dismissed by a district judge who said it attempted to address political questions. In a brief filed in support of the utility companies, the automakers alliance argued that such a suit ``opens the door to lawsuits targeting any activity that uses fossil fuel for energy."

Globe Link

[IAm@Work.com]

Originally Posted by fallout's article

"Scientific debate is over: the massive atmospheric increase in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases resulting from human activity has changed the climate and will further change the climate over the next decades...

[tan]
I love how the anti global warming crowd is ridiculed for demanding real science, while the pro global warming side simply repeats, ad nauseum, that 'the debate is over', as if stifling science is the only way to move forward.
[/tan]

[non-tangent]
It won't happen, but I'd love for all the car makers to announce that they will stop selling cars in CA while they await the outcome of the litigation.

If CA really believes any of this drivel, all they need to do is to announce new fuel economy and pollution standards that will solve it.

Of course, the standards that would eleviate the mess they are claiming will simply prolong the time when no car maker will sell in their state.

Enjoy the walk.
[/non-tan]

[fallout]

Maybe California should charge sales tax on cars or something to help pay for cleaning the air.

[Real American Hero]

Ford should offer to settle by sending the Lions to L.A.

[E. Blackadder]

Originally Posted by Real American Hero

Ford should offer to settle by sending the Lions to L.A.

oh... you mean the team in Motor City. I had this momentary vision of predators unleashed in greater Los Angeles, starving because there aren't any pedestrians.

[otley]

Originally Posted by fallout

California sues car companies over pollution

September 22, 2006

Tomorrow's News TODAY!!

[Pseudolus]

Originally Posted by E. Blackadder

oh... you mean the team in Motor City. I had this momentary vision of predators unleashed in greater Los Angeles, starving because there aren't any Christians.

IFYQ.