Posted on 09/20/2006 1:11:45 PM PDT by Brilliant
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - 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 also comes less than a month after California lawmakers adopted the nation's first global warming law mandating a cut in greenhouse gas emissions.
An automaker trade group called the global warming move a "nuisance suit." Car manufacturers have also held up California state rules to force cuts in tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks with legal action of their own.
The lawsuit names General Motors Corp. (NYSE:GM - News), Ford Motor Co. (NYSE:F - News), Toyota Motor Corp. (Tokyo:7203.T - News), the Chrysler Motors Corp. U.S. arm of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG (XETRA:DCXGN.DE - News) and the North American units of Japan's Honda Motor Co. (Tokyo:7267.T - News) and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (Tokyo:7201.T - News).
"(California) just passed a new law to cut global warming emissions by 25 percent and that's a good start and this lawsuit is a good next step," said Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club's Global Warming Program.
Lockyer told Reuters he would seek "tens or hundreds of millions of dollars" from the automakers in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Northern California.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages for past and ongoing contributions to global warming and asks that the companies be held liable for future monetary damages to California.
It noted that California is spending millions to deal with reduced snow pack, beach erosion, ozone pollution and the impact on endangered animals and fish.
"The injuries have caused the people to suffer billions of dollars in damages, including millions of dollars of funds expended to determine the extent, location and nature of future harm and to prepare for and mitigate those harms, and billions of dollars of current harm to the value of flood control infrastructure and natural resources," it said.
Ford deferred comment to the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which called the complaint a "nuisance suit" similar to one a New York court dismissed.
"Automakers will need time to review this legal complaint, however, a similar nuisance suit that was brought by attorneys- general against utilities was dismissed by a federal court in New York," the industry group said in a statement.
Toyota declined to comment as the company evaluates the lawsuit. The other automakers had no immediate comment.
David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, a nonprofit organization that provides public research and forecasts into the industry, said it would be tough for the industry to immediately meet demands from some critics.
Adoption of diesel engine emissions technology or gasoline- electric hybrids comes at great cost and improving gas mileage also likely means smaller lighter vehicles, trade-offs that are not attractive to consumers, he added.
"These are not free technologies, they are very expensive," Cole said. "Most people are price sensitive."
In the complaint, Lockyer charges that vehicle emissions have contributed significantly to global warming and have harmed the resources, infrastructure and environmental health of the most populous state in the United States.
Lockyer -- a Democratic candidate for state treasurer in the November election -- said the lawsuit states that under federal and state common law the automakers have created a public nuisance by producing "millions of vehicles that collectively emit massive quantities of carbon dioxide."
Carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gases have been linked to global warming.
Too bad they don't just shoot themselves. That would seem more logical than the vast bulk of what I read.
Not the moonbats
IBBF.
The automakers should stop selling cars in CA.
Why doesn't California just outlaw automobiles?
The "global warming" industry continues to reveal its real motivation: $$$.
They must have gotten the idea from Michael Crichton.
beat me by 4 minutes
Next they'll sue the newspapers for killing trees. Well, not the liberal ones.
Yep, the election is less than two months away. It's political stunt season.
1. Show me the damages.
2. Show me the evidence that these mfr's cars ALONE did ALL the damages. .....
We've balanced our state budget and completely eliminated crime and illegal immigration out here, y'see.
So we have time for this kind of silly crap.
Got them forest fires under control yet?
I dunno...back in August I was about to concede that there was something to this "Global Warming".
But about two nights ago a front came through, and I am now wearing a sweater, and no longer inclined to be so persuaded. (Talk to me again next June.)
Will the last sane person to leave California, please remember to lock the gates on you way out..........oh, and remember to speak English from now on..........
The level of intelligence and knowledge in our legislature is so low as to border on the criminal.
The perverts and "progressives" can only see the big bucks, similar to the "tobacco settlement". This abysmal ignorance can only further damage the physical and finacial well-being of all Californians.
God help them. After I leave, of course.
i think they should mandate the unicycle for transportation there....
This is not going to fly in court. You can't sue anybody over an unproven cause of global warming!
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