SAN FRANCISCO - Leading auto manufactures have requested a federal judge to dismiss a nuisance suit citing global warming. The suit in question was filed by the state of California.
Former California Attorney General Bill Lockyer had brought the suit against six leading auto manufacturers last September and asks for million in damages to safeguard against any possible global warming caused in future.
"The basis of this suit is that automakers have contributed very significantly to C02 emissions, which lead to global warming and have harmed the state of California," said Ken Alex the deputy State Attorney General. However Theodore Boutrous Jr. the attorney for Automakers argued that it was baseless.
"It would be impossible to have such a trial given the global issues and nature of them, and all the other factors in place," he stressed in court. "Global warming is fraught with economic, political and social issues of global significance. This is a classic case where this is a political issue."
The suit was brought against General Motors Corp., Chrysler Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co., Honda North America, Toyota Motor North America Inc. and Nissan North America. It is based on the premise that carbon dioxide emissions from automobile tailpipes are a public nuisance and contribute to global warming.
"We have a massive issue about which this statute is pretty much silent. It's not a comprehensive response to global warming," Mr Alex said in court.
