SCI/TECH: U.S Government To Be Sued Over Global Warming

This is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard, this judge should be impeached if only for sheer stupidity...it's completely against all precedent for a lawsuit like this to go forward due to the precedent of Sovereign Immunity we inherited from English law. I'm sure this two-bit San Francisco judge's ruling will be quickly overturned by either the 9th Circuit (that has its own issues, so not so sure about this) or at least the Supreme Court that will certainly never let this stand.

Alas, the US is not the planet, and should the US(Or any country) have such an influence as to effect other nations then they should be held accountable for their actions.

IS this not why we have anti-competetion laws? Anti-monopoly laws and such?

Seriously, I fail to see the logic in not following environmental laws. The arguement that it doesn't make business sense, should really warn people where these opponents of environmental laws have their focus.

Originally posted by Passer By
IS this not why we have anti-competetion laws? Anti-monopoly laws and such?

None of these things apply to sovereign nations, U.S. courts have rejected all antitrust lawsuits against OPEC on the grounds that it's composed of sovereign states.

What the "US" decides is irrelevent - the US is not the world. SHould the US, or anynation, stand in the way of continual survival of our species because of shallow, self-interested, short sighted profit takers, then they should be sanctioned by any and all measures. This isn't soemthing like a trade war, this effects the species - which I think everyone outside of the US is recgonised as being above everything else.

Originally posted by Passer By
What the "US" decides is irrelevent

Since this is a lawsuit in a U.S. court, it certainly is relevant.

What Forrest? I see no Forrest? Not with all these tree's in the way. Where's the Forrest? Could someone move these tree's?

Where am I and who's handbasket is this?

Back to the topic.

I'm VERY glad to see this lawsuit approved to proceed. IMO - the legal system is the only venue left allowing citizens to participate in democratic government. Sad, but might as well use it will we still have it.

Now this is a stupid thing to do, sue the US for global warming?.... First of all, global warming is a "natural cycle", although spewing more chemicals into the atmosphere wouldn't help it, humans did not create global warming, and much less did the US cause it.

This latest move really shows me how worthless these organizations really are....

Originally posted by Muaddib
...global warming is a "natural cycle",

True, but we've triggered the cycle, and are accelerating and changing it.

although spewing more chemicals into the atmosphere wouldn't help it,

Key point, that.

humans did not create global warming, and much less did the US cause it.

The science says humans likely created much of the current cycle, and certainly accelerated and changed it.

As I understand the charges, the US government is being held accountable for some kind or level of "contributing cause," and for refusing to take remedial action.

The marvellous thing about the legal system is that it can provide an opportunity to escape the manipulations, and get the facts on the table. Watta concept.


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Originally posted by soficrow
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The science says humans likely created much of the current cycle, and certainly accelerated and changed it.
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Then I guess these groups should be suing the "human race" for existing.... Why don't they sue the European countries, being as they are the countries of origin for all Americans?....

How about they sue China and India also as they are expected to raise even more their dependancy on oil and they surely are on their way to surpasing the US on spewing pollution/chemicals to the atmosphere and oceans.....

Oh wait a second...they can't sue China because all it would do is use the lawsuit as toilet paper....and India is not as rich as the US....

Originally posted by soficrow
As I understand the charges, the US government is being held accountable for some kind or level of "contributing cause," and for refusing to take remedial action.

The Kyoto protocol was a joke. If every country would have accepted this protocol the economy of the world would be bankrupt at this moment and probably a lot of people would be dead right now because of the Kyoto protocol. Not to mention that the Kyoto protocol allowed for China and India to continue and even to increase the pollution levels they release into the atmosphere and oceans....

Originally posted by soficrow
The marvellous thing about the legal system is that it can provide an opportunity to escape the manipulations, and get the facts on the table. Watta concept.

The legal system can also be used, and has been used to milk people, and governments of money while unscrupulous individuals and groups get rich nomatter the consequences....

The Kyoto protocol was a joke.

No it's a framework. Why include countries that wouldn't even abide by it.

If every country would have accepted this protocol the economy of the world would be bankrupt at this moment and probably a lot of people would be dead

And you base this assumption on what exactly?

Not to mention that the Kyoto protocol allowed for China and India to continue and even to increase the pollution levels they release into the atmosphere and oceans....

Again why should countries be included into a framework when they wouldn't even be able to realistically abide by it? We are learning lots of lessons from Kyoto, and now we should move foward in developing a new treaty with India and China as the centerpiece of a new environmental pact seeing as they were not included in the last one. Sanctions may be necessary this time though to get them to play ball so to speak. And if India and China are punished for not entering into any new pact(and the usa follows suit like Kyoto) then the US should be punished as well.

I see Kyoto as an experiment nothing more nothing less. It will not have any appreciable impact on the environment, in my mind that was not the point of the treaty. We should now build upon the successes and failures of Kyoto and build a an all encompasing treaty including all industrialized nations developed or otherwise. We are talking about the security of our food and water supply here people...