| General Motors, Ford, Chrysler,
and the US sections of Toyota, Honda and Nissan are all facing a lawsuit
filed by the state of California over their responsibility for the effects
of global warming due to emissions from their vehicles.
The lawsuit has been filed in the US district court, with the state said
to be seeking “millions of dollars” in damages from the companies.
California’s attorney-general Bill Lockyer said after the lawsuit
was filed: “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. It is time to hold
these companies responsible for their contribution to this crisis.”
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM), which represents global
automakers in the US, was dismissive of claim, describing it as a “nuisance
lawsuit”.
A statement from AAM read: “Automakers are already building cleaner,
more fuel-efficient vehicles, and every single auto sold in California
is approved by the State of California before it goes to the dealer's
lot. Today's autos are 99 per cent cleaner than a generation ago."
Last month California sought to for a 25 per cent reduction in greenhouse
emissions by 2020, claiming that 30 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions
in California result from vehicles.
|
|
