NEWS: Mother Earth v. United States

POLITICS: Mother Earth v. United States

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.

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

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.

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.

It's about goddamn time...

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

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?

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

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.

What a waste of time.

Problems aren't solved by tossing blame around.

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

[Edited on Aug 26, 2005 by if]

Inefficiently.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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

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

And about the efficiency of our techniques:

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

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