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Sophomania

Sophomania

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

AUG 26, 2005 07:28 AM

In a surprising landmark ruling, a federal judge has declared that a lawsuit blaming the US Government for their role in Global Warming may go to trial. Four US cities, along with several Environmentalist Groups, have brought the lawsuit against two government agencies which have provided loans and foreign development aid that created greenhouse gas emitting power plants.

"This is the first decision in the country to say that climate change causes sufficient injury to give a plaintiff standing, to open the courthouse door," said Ronald Shems, a Vermont attorney representing Friends of the Earth.

freshprncebelair

freshprncebelair

Ellicott City, MD
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 09:03 AM

The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.

Wannie

Wannie

Kingston, ON
March 2004

AUG 26, 2005 09:19 AM

Will they have to prove that they knowingly caused harm to the Earth. I know ignorance is no excuse, but this is a new kind of case.

sixtenblue

sixtenblue

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

AUG 26, 2005 09:30 AM

Well, the whole thing is a baby, baby, baby step. One that is gathering almost zero coverage to date. Here's the whole article:

NARROW RULING BLAH BLAH

What is also notable is that I could only find coverage in a Korean paper. Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace need some better p.r. people.

Evolkix

Evolkix

Van Nuys, CA
March 2004

AUG 26, 2005 09:51 AM

It's about goddamn time...

It's no suprise that noone is even mentioning this tho. Well except you guys.

Bastardo

Bastardo

Boston, MA
January 2005

AUG 26, 2005 09:53 AM

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?

alpha_hazard

alpha_hazard

Fort Collins, CO
April 2004

AUG 26, 2005 10:18 AM

TheBastard said:

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?



I was thinking the same thing. How is it only the US's problem. If other developed nations were so holy they would have stopped using polluting industrial processes a long time ago. And these cities could have done the same, denying the access of heavy industry entry into their fine urban centers unless certain rules are held.

Furthermore, what would happen (this is coming from a person who hasn't read the article) if the US WAS held responsible. Do the four cities fine the government? Do they send them to prison? what does the US government stand to lose if convicted? A few thousand tax dollars back to the taxpayers in these various cities?

pharcyde

pharcyde

Canada
September 2003

AUG 26, 2005 10:45 AM

TheBastard said:

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?



because the US produces 33% of the worlds greenhouse gas, which is way more than any other country. besides that, the US is the only developed country that hasnt signed the kyoto accord. all this makes it sound like the american government doesnt care nearly as much as others.

KaraLynn

KaraLynn

Beverly Hills, CA
April 2004

AUG 26, 2005 11:34 AM

Pharcyde said:

TheBastard said:

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?



because the US produces 33% of the worlds greenhouse gas, which is way more than any other country. besides that, the US is the only developed country that hasnt signed the kyoto accord. all this makes it sound like the american government doesnt care nearly as much as others.



Amen brother Pharcyde

freshprncebelair

freshprncebelair

Ellicott City, MD
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 12:31 PM

Pharcyde said:

TheBastard said:

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?



because the US produces 33% of the worlds greenhouse gas, which is way more than any other country. besides that, the US is the only developed country that hasnt signed the kyoto accord. all this makes it sound like the american government doesnt care nearly as much as others.




We also get a lot of work done compared to other countries.

The US feeds a good portion of the world, and does a lot of manufacturing. We obviously do use a lot of resources and pollute a lot, but we do a lot with the energy we use.

akl

akl

Sacramento, CA
February 2004

AUG 26, 2005 12:53 PM

What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.

if

if

Providence, RI
April 2005

AUG 26, 2005 12:59 PM

Edited because I read the article after posting and realized that we're all off-topic.

[Edited on Aug 26, 2005 by if]

waldo

waldo

I'm lost
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 01:16 PM

skankzor said:

Pharcyde said:

TheBastard said:

skankzor said:
The problem is going to be proving that the US government is actually responsible for the global warming.


I know. Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming. Maybe if we rolled over on Britain and France we could cut a sweet-heart deal?



because the US produces 33% of the worlds greenhouse gas, which is way more than any other country. besides that, the US is the only developed country that hasnt signed the kyoto accord. all this makes it sound like the american government doesnt care nearly as much as others.




We also get a lot of work done compared to other countries.

The US feeds a good portion of the world, and does a lot of manufacturing. We obviously do use a lot of resources and pollute a lot, but we do a lot with the energy we use.



Inefficiently.

dem_z

dem_z

United Kingdom
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 01:35 PM

alpha_hazard said:

TheBastard said:
Technially, most of the developed world is guilty of contributing to global warming.


I was thinking the same thing. How is it only the US's problem.


It isn't just the US's problem but:-
a) Other countries have accepted that global warming exists and that something needs to be done
b) Americans are responsible for far more C02 per person than any other country, using any figures you like.

So 'we' emit less, and are doing more to reduce emissions, than Americans.

dem_z

dem_z

United Kingdom
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 01:36 PM

skankzor said:
We also get a lot of work done compared to other countries.

The US feeds a good portion of the world, and does a lot of manufacturing. We obviously do use a lot of resources and pollute a lot, but we do a lot with the energy we use.


surreal

EDIT: I never know when people are being serious or not.

[Edited on Aug 26, 2005 by dem_z]

PointBlank

PointBlank

New York, NY
November 2004

AUG 26, 2005 01:39 PM

dem_z said:

skankzor said:
We also get a lot of work done compared to other countries.

The US feeds a good portion of the world, and does a lot of manufacturing. We obviously do use a lot of resources and pollute a lot, but we do a lot with the energy we use.


surreal

EDIT: I never know when people are being serious or not.

[Edited on Aug 26, 2005 by dem_z]


With Skank you get the best of both worlds. He's always serious, but always funny as hell.

stockula

stockula

Anchorage, AK
May 2003

AUG 26, 2005 01:43 PM

For christ's sake, suing the government for the crime of generating electricity?

sixtenblue

sixtenblue

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

AUG 26, 2005 01:44 PM

adam_ said:
What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.



Your assessment is wildly off the mark.

If I see a man stabbing a child, and tell the police what I saw, is this "tossing blame around"?

akl

akl

Sacramento, CA
February 2004

AUG 26, 2005 02:19 PM

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:
What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.



Your assessment is wildly off the mark.

If I see a man stabbing a child, and tell the police what I saw, is this "tossing blame around"?


Somehow a whole country being irresponsible in energy production and a man stabbing a child seem different to me. I'm weird like that.

dragonreborn

dragonreborn

USA
OLD SKOOL

AUG 26, 2005 02:26 PM

stockula said:
For christ's sake, suing the government for the crime of generating electricity?




in an unrelated story greenpiss and the sierra slobs are filing litigation against T. rex and Triceratops et al. for dying and letting their decomposing bodies make organic matter which is sometimes in the form of Oil!

sixtenblue

sixtenblue

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

AUG 26, 2005 04:00 PM

adam_ said:

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:
What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.



Your assessment is wildly off the mark.

If I see a man stabbing a child, and tell the police what I saw, is this "tossing blame around"?


Somehow a whole country being irresponsible in energy production and a man stabbing a child seem different to me. I'm weird like that.



A crime is a crime. Does that make it more clear?

akl

akl

Sacramento, CA
February 2004

AUG 26, 2005 04:31 PM

sixtenblue said:
A crime is a crime. Does that make it more clear?


A crime is not a crime. Jaywalking is not murder. Speeding is not rape. I don't understand how this concept appears to have escaped you.

What I'm saying is that there are a lot of people responsible for this problem, and attempting to prove it is anyone's fault is not a prerequisite to actually developing a way to resolve the problem. It is, however, a way to tangle up a lot of time and money in resources that would potentially otherwise be devoted to researching better ways to do what we do.

troglodyte

troglodyte

Victoria, BC
May 2003

AUG 26, 2005 05:15 PM

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:
What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.



Your assessment is wildly off the mark.

If I see a man stabbing a child, and tell the police what I saw, is this "tossing blame around"?


Somehow a whole country being irresponsible in energy production and a man stabbing a child seem different to me. I'm weird like that.



A crime is a crime. Does that make it more clear?


No, because this is a civil suit; there's no crime involved in this.

freshprncebelair

freshprncebelair

Ellicott City, MD
June 2004

AUG 26, 2005 05:31 PM

PointBlank said:

dem_z said:

skankzor said:
We also get a lot of work done compared to other countries.

The US feeds a good portion of the world, and does a lot of manufacturing. We obviously do use a lot of resources and pollute a lot, but we do a lot with the energy we use.


surreal

EDIT: I never know when people are being serious or not.

[Edited on Aug 26, 2005 by dem_z]


With Skank you get the best of both worlds. He's always serious, but always funny as hell.



http://ific.org/food/agriculture/index.cfm



The United States produces more food than any other nation in the world and is the world’s largest exporter of agricultural products.



And about the efficiency of our techniques:

http://www.fas.usda.gov/itp/Policy/tradeFAQ.htm


How much of its agricultural products does the United States export?

American farmers export 45 percent of their wheat, 34 percent of their soybeans, 71 percent of their almonds, and more than 60 percent of their sunflower oil.
Back to top

How well does the United States compete in world agricultural markets?

For many food products, U.S. producers are among the lowest cost producers in the world.

sixtenblue

sixtenblue

San Francisco, CA
August 2005

AUG 27, 2005 08:28 AM

troglodyte said:

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:

sixtenblue said:

adam_ said:
What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.



Your assessment is wildly off the mark.

If I see a man stabbing a child, and tell the police what I saw, is this "tossing blame around"?


Somehow a whole country being irresponsible in energy production and a man stabbing a child seem different to me. I'm weird like that.



A crime is a crime. Does that make it more clear?


No, because this is a civil suit; there's no crime involved in this.



Willfull pollution of the environment isn't a crime? You've got to be kidding me that you're arguing this point via semantics.

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