San Francisco - A US federal judge on Monday threw out a suit by the state of California that sought to hold large automakers responsible for global warming. Then-California Attorney General Bill Lockyer filed the suit against General Motors, Toyota, Ford Motor Co, Honda North America, Chrysler Motors Corp and Nissan North America last September seeking damages from the automakers for contributing to the public nuisance of global warming with their cars' emissions.
But Judge Martin Jenkins dismissed the case, saying in his decision that the court did not have jurisdiction over the matter and that the issue was a political one that could not be settled by the court.
"The court is left without guidance in determining what is an unreasonable contribution to the sum of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere, or in determining who should bear the costs associated with global climate change that admittedly result from multiple sources around the globe," Jenkins wrote in his ruling.
California claimed that the cars produced by the six automakers account for 30 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions in the West Coast state.
The suit also said that California spends millions of dollars to deal with a reduced snow pack, beach erosion, ozone pollution and the impact on endangered animals and fish.
The district attorney's office is still considering whether to appeal the case.
In 2004 the US's most populous state also targeted the auto industry requiring automakers to reduce emissions from cars and light trucks, the first in the nation to do so.
