California AG not giving up on automaker greenhouse gas lawsuit
California Attorney General Jerry Brown has decided to pursue a lawsuit started last fall by his predecessor Bill Lockyer. The lawsuit accuses automakers of creating a public nuisance by emitting excessive amounts of greenhouse gases. Brown wants to force carmakers to change their business practices to be more environmentally conscious. Carmakers have asked a judge to dismiss the case as a nuisance lawsuit and have said they are willing to work with the state to improve fuel efficiency. Brown, ever the politician, criticized GM in the wake of dropping to number two in sales behind Toyota. He said that GM lost the top spot because they weren't making environmentally friendly cars. Of course he fails to note that while Toyota sells the Prius they have also just introduced their own new full-size pick-up, the Tundra while also selling huge numbers of mid-sized and large SUVs.
[Source: The Auto Channel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Chet 12:09PM (4/30/2007)
Jerry Brown has always been a nut. He's also a menace to the public good if he keeps up this wacky lawsuit. It's not going to fix anything, but it could very well drive business out of the state.
Is this lawsuit really a reflection of the will of the people of this state?
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Geoff Gibson 5:55PM (4/30/2007)
@ Chet
I believe it truely and honestly is. Lets face it we live in California. We aren't even really part of the U.S. culturally. We are by far becoming the most socialist state in the nation, one that would rival European countries. Whether you think its good or bad is up to you. Personally I find it to be for the better.
In any case, my point is that San Diego's and Los Angeles' air conditions are getting worse. Much worse. Its getting to the point where non-enviromentalists are even starting to complain. Hell when conservative republicans in the Orange Curtain (erm County) begin complaining about pollution you know there's hell to pay. Not to mention we are also blessed with the great city of San Franscisco. DO I even need to say anything about the majority's take on pollution from up north?
California is heading exactly where I think most Californians would like it to be heading (in terms of enviromentalism). I don't see the public taking the side of automakers anytime soon especially considering when the AG decided to sue CA to remove laws that would hamper their emissions output.
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Chet 11:55AM (5/01/2007)
I suppose you're right, in that most Californians are playing the "it's anyone's fault but mine" card, right next to the "demand action, as long as it doesn't inconvenience me" card.
It's quite a leap from changing air quality to automaker culpability. Fact is, we bought these cars, we made choices that create other pollution sources, and our economy and quality of life continues to depend on the semi-legal underclass that depends on cheap gas and cheap (and dirty) used cars. This lawsuit is ill-advised. It's a publicity stunt designed to assuage the guilt over our car culture and distract us from making tough decisions.
I'll believe that Californians really want to accomplish something when we raise the gas tax, ban gross polluters, and fund beater buybacks in volume. Until then, it's just business as usual: demonize automakers while we threaten/beg them to give us the free magic stuff that will fix the environment without costing us anything or making us change our behavior.
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