California Sues Automakers Over Global Warming Emissions

California's attorney general, Bill Lockyer, has launched a lawsuit against six major automakers, accusing them of causing significant environmental damage through greenhouse gas emissions from their vehicles. The lawsuit, filed in United States District Court, alleges that General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, and Nissan are responsible for a fifth of the carbon dioxide emissions nationwide and nearly a third of the emissions in California. The state claims that these emissions have caused harm to the environment, economy, agriculture, and public health. The automakers have declined to comment on the lawsuit directly, but a trade group representing them has labeled it a "nuisance suit."

Key Takeaways:

• The lawsuit accuses the six major automakers of creating a public nuisance by building millions of vehicles that discharge 289 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
• The products of the six companies are responsible for a fifth of the carbon dioxide emissions nationwide and nearly a third of the emissions in California.
• Attorney General Bill Lockyer is seeking at least "tens of millions" in damages for past, current, and future contributions to air pollution, beach erosion, and reduced water supplies.
• The automakers have been criticized for their role in increasing emissions, with a study suggesting that raising the fuel economy of their vehicles by just a few miles per gallon could add $2 billion in annual profits.
• The industry is accused of "wasting a lot of money paying lawyers to fight" rather than investing in cleaner technologies.
• The lawsuit is part of a broader effort by the state to address global warming, with the California Legislature passing a measure last month to regulate industries' production of greenhouse gases.

Statistics:

• 289 million metric tons: the amount of carbon dioxide discharged into the atmosphere annually by the vehicles of the six automakers.
• 1/5: the proportion of carbon dioxide emissions nationwide attributed to the six major automakers.
• 1/3: the proportion of emissions in California attributed to the six major automakers.
• $2 billion: the potential annual profit increase for G.M., Ford, and Chrysler by raising the fuel economy of their vehicles just a few miles per gallon.
• 25%: the reduction in pollution from cars and light trucks aimed for by California's 2004 emissions law.
• 18%: the reduction in pollution from sport utility vehicles aimed for by California's 2004 emissions law.

Sources:

• "California to Sue Automakers Over Emissions" by Kevin Helliker, The Wall Street Journal
• "California Enacts Tough Emissions Standards for 2004" by James R. Hagerty, The Wall Street Journal
• "California Legislature Passes Measure to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions" by Michael R. Blood, Associated Press
• "Environmental Defense Study on Fuel Economy" by James D. Marston, Environmental Defense
• "Automakers Set Themselves Up to Become Target of Environmentalists" by Marc H. Ross, University of Michigan