States to Sue Over Global Warming

[shockingelk]

Dissatisfied with the Bush administration's policies on global warming, attorneys general from California and seven other states plan today to sue five large energy producers who they contend are responsible for nearly 10% of the heat-trapping gases that the United States is releasing into the atmosphere.

In an unusual legal maneuver, the states are seeking to force the electricity providers to curb carbon dioxide emissions by arguing that the releases violate an arcane series of "public nuisance" prohibitions against endangering the health of the commons that the U.S. copied from English common law.

..."The Bush administration has buried its head in the sand on this issue. It has protected these big dirty-power companies from having to take any action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions," said Frank O'Donnell, executive director of the Clean Air Trust, a Washington, D.C.-based air pollution watchdog group. "So, the only way to achieve any progress on this issue is for the states to take the initiative."

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-warming21jul21,1,1699397.story

Also:

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB01YRDXWD.html