Auto industry seek to dismiss global warming suit

The world’s largest automakers have asked a judge to toss out a federal lawsuit filed by California that seeks untold millions for future damage caused to the state by global warming. In its lawsuit filed in September by then-Attorney General Bill Lockyer, California blamed the auto industry for millions of dollars it expects to spend on repairing damage from global-warming induced floods and other natural disasters. The state sued Chrysler Motor Corp., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and the U.S. subsidiaries of Japan’s biggest manufacturers, Honda North America, Nissan North America and Toyota Motor North America.

The lawsuit was filed as a challenge to the automakers’ suit seeking to overturn California’s law limiting vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases. California Attorney General Jerry Brown went forward with this legal approach, but tried to arrange a meeting with chief executives of the car companies to “discuss resolution of our pending litigation and moving forward cooperatively”. The automakers refused this appeal saying they were only willing to discuss dismissal of the California suit.

In opening arguments, The automakers’ attorney argued that global warming is an international issue that needs to be addressed jointly by the worlds’ politicians. He said it is impossible for California to show precisely what damage automakers have done to the state when there are many sources of carbon dioxide emissions. U.S. District Court Judge Martin Jenkins seemed to also be concerned with how a court could decide a damage award that would accurately determine the damages global warming had on California while also pinpointing the auto industry’s liability. The industry also made the point that it is not really fair for the state to blame the auto industry while maintaining its own fleet of 37,000 vehicles and an extensive highway network.

Auto industries attorneys have also argued that the case raises foreign policy issues and the judge seemed to share the concern that the lawsuit could interfere with U.S. foreign-policy efforts and its abilities to negotiate treaties addressing global warming.