Asian Fever

California sues automakers

LonelyGhost

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Apr 26, 2004
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Calif. sues carmakers over global warming

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. (7203.T), the Chrysler Motors Corp. U.S. arm of Germany's DaimlerChrysler AG (DCXGn.DE) and the North American units of Japan's Honda Motor Co. (7267.T) and Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. (7201.T).

"(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.
 

gravitas

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Feb 7, 2006
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LonelyGhost said:
Calif. sues carmakers over global warming
For FUCK SAKES shoot me now!

This is beyond stupidity of frivolous lawsuits like the idiot bitch who sued McDonald's because their coffee was too hot. It's amazing that California, who's residents have an obsessive relationship with their cars, freeways, etc. (hell, their governor drives a fucking Hummer), started this nonsense.
 

MissingOne

awake but not woke
Jan 2, 2006
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Do you suppose that the State of California will sue itself for building all those freeways for all those cars to be driven on?
 

HeMadeMeDoIt

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Feb 12, 2004
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Only in the moronic state of California.
 

LonelyGhost

Telefunkin
Apr 26, 2004
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gravitas said:
For FUCK SAKES shoot me now!

This is beyond stupidity of frivolous lawsuits like the idiot bitch who sued McDonald's because their coffee was too hot. It's amazing that California, who's residents have an obsessive relationship with their cars, freeways, etc. (hell, their governor drives a fucking Hummer), started this nonsense.
here's irony for you ... in the 1950's, California 'allowed' GM to buy all the
streetcar lines and tear them up so more people would buy cars!

it was good to California's economy and contributed to their big boom
in many ways ...

going to be hard to go to Court and argue that the Gov of Calif had
no part in the whole 'global warming' mess ...
 

hornyitalian06

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May 5, 2006
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Edmonton
It could only happen in California. Is this another blonde joke?
 

OTBn

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Jan 2, 2006
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hornyitalian06 said:
It could only happen in California. Is this another blonde joke?
c’mon – get inspired - check the internets … there’s a lot of stuff out there!

So, the correct sequence of events:

- California (and other U.S. states) brought forward legislation aimed to limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions emitted by automobiles. By the by, in California the automobile is responsible for 40% of all greenhouse gas emission in the state.

- In Jan/2005, nine automakers sued California to block the “California clean cars law”. In Feb/2005 the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers joined in adding additional automakers to the original suit... (Aston Martin, BMW, DaimlerChrysler, Ferrari, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Isuzu, Kia, Maserati, Peugeot, Renault, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota and Volkswagen.)

- Soon to be heard at the U.S. Supreme Court level, California and 11 other U.S. states have joined with environmental groups in a case aimed to “compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to take action to curb the release of heat-trapping carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.”

- with this latest announcement it appears the California state level has opted not to wait on the Supreme Court challenge bringing forward this counter-suit

Engineers – bah! We don’t need no stinking engineers… send in the lawyers… even though technologies do exist, or could be leveraged, towards dealing with the emission amounts. Really, it’s just bidness.
 

hornyitalian06

New member
May 5, 2006
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Edmonton
The Federal Government should shoulder some of the blame for the poor air quality in California and other states. The Feds could brought in legislation for tougher emissions sooner for the auto industry but since the auto industry has strong lobbists who support/control senators on capital hill. Again, lawyers are the problem here, anything to make a buck and even more in this case.
 

hornyitalian06

New member
May 5, 2006
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Edmonton
Good Luck on California suing the automakers. Only people who gain from this are the high priced lawyers involved with both parties.
 
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