Posted on 07/23/2004 5:46:50 AM PDT by Isara
Environment: Eight states are suing power companies over global warming and in doing so formed a troublemaking alliance between one pestilence and another.
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is as sue-happy as anyone we've seen. Targets have ranged from gun manufacturers to mortgage lenders and from mutual fund organizations to the chairman of the NYSE.
Even giant corporations don't intimidate him, as suits against the likes of Microsoft () and Glaxo SmithKline, () attest.
Despite the flying legal paper, however, the only beneficiary of all his litigation seems to be Spitzer himself. He's a tireless defender not of the little guy, but of his own political agenda.
Now Spitzer is leading a group of attorneys general who have filed a federal lawsuit against five power companies for their alleged part in causing global warming through emissions of carbon dioxide.
CO2 is produced by the burning of fossil fuels. But it is not a pollutant or federally regulated as such. It's simply a gas that makes up a small part — about 0.035% — of our atmosphere. It also provides food for plants, which emit oxygen through the natural process of photosynthesis.
But CO2 has gotten a bad rap because it traps warmer air near the Earth's surface, a natural condition known as the greenhouse effect. It's not the only gas that traps heat, however. Water vapor, which includes clouds, traps most of it — 90%, in fact.
Which brings us to another point. There's no proof that the planet is warming. But even if there was, there's no further proof that the cause is human activities such as the burning CO2-emitting fuels to power plants that produce electricity. This is merely a theory.
Apocalyptic types who predict doom from global warming never consider that other factors might be responsible for increasing temperatures.
For instance, a report released last week by a research team from the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich found that increased solar activity over the last 100 to 150 years might be impacting our climate. But, like other similar reports before it, it was ignored.
Despite the dubious science, Spitzer and his band of litigants want the courts to do what no lawmaker or regulator has ever done in this country: place limits on CO2, a mistake that will send power costs higher for no reason.
That, however, is exactly the nonsense we get when predatory lawyers, especially those with government apparatus at their call, team with environmental zealots. The yield, unlike CO2's, is highly toxic.
One more point: there's also no evidence that there's any harm in having the Earth warm just a little bit - after all, we're emerging from a mini-ice age, so it's only natural there'd be some warming.
Elliot Spitzer has his eye on, first of all, the New York governor's office. This is all about his blind ambitions.
Spitzer is a tireless self-promoter. While I think this is a colossal waste of time and taxpayer money, maybe it would be a chance for the other side to present their evidence in a public forum that would be covered by the press, something they haven't had a chance to do before.
Rudy came under similar criticism when he held the same office in the eighties and was going after the junk bond barons (Milliken, etc.). However, he wasn't a tenth as overreaching and megalomaniacal as Spitzer, plus he did take time to occasionally go after "common" criminals (Gotti, et al.).
He is a 'state' person, filing a lawsuit
in federal court.
Thank you.
I wonder of the states being sue could counter sue for restraing of trade or something.
That's a pretty huge stretch. What scientist in their right mind could rationalize how increasing solar activity could cause the earth to warm, as if the sun has anything to do with our climate....
Boycott New York, California, and Wisconsin.
Rudy was the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York.
Spitzer is the New York Attorney General.
Rudy's was a Federal office, appointed by the Justice Department. Spitzer's is a NY State elective office.
Rudy was charged with enforcing Federal law in the most important district in the country. Spitzer mostly seems to be interested in promoting his greater political ambitions.
Did Rudy use his position for self promotion? Probably. But a lot of Rudy's political success came from his accomplishments. Spitzer, on the other hand, excells at getting good press, whether what he is doing serves the public good or not.
The latest example of suing over phantom "global warming" is only the latest example. This guy is lighting matches in a fireworks factory just so people can see how pretty he is.
Rudy was fine and went after all the real bad guys...
This is intended seriously: the internal combustion engine is not the greatest threat to civilization as we know it. Grandstanding lawyers and politicians are, with the complicity of our legal system.
(The role of the bugs and bunny crowd can be dismissed for the joke that is is).
The "greens" are irrational, dope-consuming dingbats, long on ignorance and borderline (OK, not so borderline) nuts.
Unfortunately, few of us have the knowledge and the grasp of the myriad elements of the universe that affect climate. Even serious reputable scientists are like fleas on an elephant.
Universally, the serious scientist who are the most knowledgeable about the subject allow that the sun might have more serious effect on our planet than is presently known. The bottom line is that politicians and lawyers certainly don't!
Outside of the ability to find "legal" ways to extort enormous sums from the rest of us, most lawyers are (scientifically) dumb as rocks!
The problem with that is that is that they will go judge shopping and will pack the jury with idiots. The utilities will lose and we will be stuck with a disaterous ruling. Kyoto will not be fare behind. This is quite a serious percedent if the States win. It could ruin us.
Global warming is causing solar warming.
Maybe the states in which these power companies are located should counter sue. A suit by some megalomaniacal office seeker in New York could have a significant impact on the ratepayers in the state where the company is located.
Better yet, turn off the power and let the SOBs freeze and/or fry (depending on the season)
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