Car Companies getting sued (again)
Thread Starter
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 220
From: San Diego, CA
Car Companies getting sued (again)
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/...ss/pollute.php
California sues 6 car companies
By Nick Bunkley The New York Times
Published: September 21, 2006
California, which has battled the automotive industry over new global warming regulations for years, is suing the world's six largest automakers, demanding that they pay for environmental damage caused by emissions from their vehicles.
The suit is the first such attempt to hold automakers accountable for the greenhouse gases that vehicles produce. It accuses General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler and Nissan of creating a public nuisance by building millions of vehicles that collectively discharge 289 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
"Global warming is causing significant harm to California's environment, economy, agriculture and public health," the state attorney general, Bill Lockyer, said Wednesday.
"Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act."
Lockyer contends that the products of the six companies are responsible for a fifth of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States and nearly a third of the emissions in California, which has more vehicles than any other U.S. state.
He said he would seek at least "tens of millions" of dollars in damages for past, current and future contributions to air pollution, beach erosion and reduced water supplies.
The automakers named in the suit declined to comment on it directly, but a trade group representing them labeled the accusations a "nuisance suit" similar to an unsuccessful attempt by several states in the northeastern United States to hold utilities liable for environmental damages.
"Automakers are already building cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles," the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, based in Washington, said in a statement. "Today's autos are 99 percent cleaner than a generation ago, and every model of auto is now available with some type of fuel-efficient technology."
Dave Barthmuss, a GM spokesman in Los Angeles, said the company was working toward the eventual goal of selling clean hydrogen-powered vehicles and, as an interim step, had invested in technology like flexible-fuel engines.
"We are spending significant financial and human resources to commercialize alternatives," Barthmuss said.
James Marston, director of the energy program at Environmental Defense, a nonprofit organization, said GM, Ford and Chrysler could improve their profit by reducing emissions. He cited a study released this week by transportation researchers at the University of Michigan. The study suggested that the three companies would sell more cars, adding $2 billion in annual profit, by raising the fuel economy of their vehicles by only a few miles per gallon.
The industry is "wasting a lot of money paying lawyers to fight, and we ought to be spending that money on engineering," Marston said. Carmakers "need to get the message that they've got to do something different, " he said.
Lockyer said the suit was not an attempt to persuade automakers to back down from their legal challenges to rules enacted by the state aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.
In 2004, the state enacted similar requirements for auto emissions, which the automakers sought to throw out in federal court. That
law was aimed at reducing pollution created by cars and light trucks by 25 percent and from sport utility vehicles by 18 percent.
Last month, the California Legislature passed a measure to regulate industrial output of greenhouse gases. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the bill into law soon.
Marc Ross, a professor of physics at the University of Michigan who has studied automobile emissions, said automakers had set themselves up to become targets of environmentalists as they worked to maximize sales of sport utility vehicles.
"Regardless of the negative social aspects of those vehicles, they proceeded to develop that market as much as they could," he said.
California sues 6 car companies
By Nick Bunkley The New York Times
Published: September 21, 2006
California, which has battled the automotive industry over new global warming regulations for years, is suing the world's six largest automakers, demanding that they pay for environmental damage caused by emissions from their vehicles.
The suit is the first such attempt to hold automakers accountable for the greenhouse gases that vehicles produce. It accuses General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler and Nissan of creating a public nuisance by building millions of vehicles that collectively discharge 289 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually.
"Global warming is causing significant harm to California's environment, economy, agriculture and public health," the state attorney general, Bill Lockyer, said Wednesday.
"Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act."
Lockyer contends that the products of the six companies are responsible for a fifth of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States and nearly a third of the emissions in California, which has more vehicles than any other U.S. state.
He said he would seek at least "tens of millions" of dollars in damages for past, current and future contributions to air pollution, beach erosion and reduced water supplies.
The automakers named in the suit declined to comment on it directly, but a trade group representing them labeled the accusations a "nuisance suit" similar to an unsuccessful attempt by several states in the northeastern United States to hold utilities liable for environmental damages.
"Automakers are already building cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles," the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, based in Washington, said in a statement. "Today's autos are 99 percent cleaner than a generation ago, and every model of auto is now available with some type of fuel-efficient technology."
Dave Barthmuss, a GM spokesman in Los Angeles, said the company was working toward the eventual goal of selling clean hydrogen-powered vehicles and, as an interim step, had invested in technology like flexible-fuel engines.
"We are spending significant financial and human resources to commercialize alternatives," Barthmuss said.
James Marston, director of the energy program at Environmental Defense, a nonprofit organization, said GM, Ford and Chrysler could improve their profit by reducing emissions. He cited a study released this week by transportation researchers at the University of Michigan. The study suggested that the three companies would sell more cars, adding $2 billion in annual profit, by raising the fuel economy of their vehicles by only a few miles per gallon.
The industry is "wasting a lot of money paying lawyers to fight, and we ought to be spending that money on engineering," Marston said. Carmakers "need to get the message that they've got to do something different, " he said.
Lockyer said the suit was not an attempt to persuade automakers to back down from their legal challenges to rules enacted by the state aimed at cutting greenhouse-gas emissions.
In 2004, the state enacted similar requirements for auto emissions, which the automakers sought to throw out in federal court. That
law was aimed at reducing pollution created by cars and light trucks by 25 percent and from sport utility vehicles by 18 percent.
Last month, the California Legislature passed a measure to regulate industrial output of greenhouse gases. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to sign the bill into law soon.
Marc Ross, a professor of physics at the University of Michigan who has studied automobile emissions, said automakers had set themselves up to become targets of environmentalists as they worked to maximize sales of sport utility vehicles.
"Regardless of the negative social aspects of those vehicles, they proceeded to develop that market as much as they could," he said.
Senior Member
SL Member
Scion Evolution
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,564
From: Chino, CA
^ blame the governor! Its his fault, we citizens aint got ish to do with it! So no, way to go Govenor!!! CA isn't the only state in this country with strict emissions and laws. And to the orig poster, edit your post you posted the same stuff like 3 times. Its cool though, I just thought it would save people who read the thread some time.
Senior Member
SL Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 722
From: Columbus, OH
Originally Posted by bBlover
^ blame the governor! Its his fault, we citizens aint got ish to do with it! So no, way to go Govenor!!! CA isn't the only state in this country with strict emissions and laws. And to the orig poster, edit your post you posted the same stuff like 3 times. Its cool though, I just thought it would save people who read the thread some time.
Senior Member
SL Member
Scion Evolution
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 6,564
From: Chino, CA
^^ oh, I thought you were bad mouthing Cali, so if my post seemed like I was an _______, I just explained as to why it was. 
so we're cool?? ^ no prob. I just thought I'd be nice and say it b4 someone would be mean and say it.
so we're cool?? ^ no prob. I just thought I'd be nice and say it b4 someone would be mean and say it.
Admin Emeritus
SL Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 14,570
From: University Place, WA
Actually, Arnie does drive a Hummer - a customized H1, in fact... 
(Before GM produced any Hummers for civilian sale, Arnie convinced them to customize one of their military only HMMV vehicles for him. He was also THE major influence in getting GM to eventually produce Hummers for civilian sale.)
His first "Hummer," was a converted and customized military HMMV.
Anyway, aside from that, this has been here on ScionLife for a few days already...
California sues major car manufacturers for global warming
Sorry to lock this, but...
locked
Tomas
(Before GM produced any Hummers for civilian sale, Arnie convinced them to customize one of their military only HMMV vehicles for him. He was also THE major influence in getting GM to eventually produce Hummers for civilian sale.)His first "Hummer," was a converted and customized military HMMV.
Anyway, aside from that, this has been here on ScionLife for a few days already...
California sues major car manufacturers for global warming
Sorry to lock this, but...
locked
Tomas
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Sparks_Scion_TRD_Parts
Exclusive Sponsored Sales
0
Dec 23, 2014 06:21 PM