Posted on 03/15/2011 8:13:59 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
California and five other states are urging the U.S. Supreme Court to let them sue power companies whose plants emit greenhouse gases, saying legal action is needed as a backup for the Obama administration's embattled efforts to curb pollution that contributes to global warming.
The case, to be argued April 19, pits the states and environmental organizations against an unusual alliance: the energy industry, which opposes the emissions limits, and the Obama administration, which says such restrictions should be imposed by Congress and federal agencies, not the courts.
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to issue regulations in May 2012 that would limit emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from the coal-burning plants that are the targets of the states' lawsuit.
But House Republicans are backing legislation, due for a committee vote today, that would eliminate EPA authority over greenhouse gases and repeal California's controls on carbon emissions from cars and trucks. The bill would allow the federal government to restrict tailpipe emissions but would leave greenhouse gases from power plants unregulated.
The six states - California, New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island and Vermont, along with New York City - want the Supreme Court to uphold their right to sue five major power companies and then return the case to a federal judge in New York.
...
California and the other states are seeking court orders requiring the power companies to reduce carbon emissions by 3 percent a year for 10 years.
The companies operate 174 plants in 20 states. None is in California, but the suit says they produce 2.5 percent of the world's emissions, thereby warming the planet and melting the Sierra snowpack earlier. That affects the state's drinking water supply, the suit says.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Stocked up on batteries yet?
Any out-of-state utilities supplying power to California should charge California extra to compensate for extra costs in case they ultimately end up being affected by the kind of suits California is bringing against its own power companies.
Seems only fair to me.
Actually they want to sue the power companies in OTHER states, for two purposes.
It would subsidize electric power for CALIFORNIA and TAX other states/residents, AND run the money through the CA state political patronage system.
It would also expand California's authority to that of a nation state, and this is the real goal.
They cut off water to their own farmers, so why not? Looking for logic in Liberal policies is futile unless you know their motive. Their motive is destruction, always destruction. When Obama was campaigning he told us that he was going to raise our electric rates so high we couldn't afford them. Most of us couldn't believe what we heard but that is what he said to the entire nation. He also said he was going to build a domestic police force that was as large and as powerful as our military. I wonder how far along he is with that?
The power companies should leave California and tell them to hook up with a Mexican power company.
No energy should be allowed to come into California that is made by fossil fuels.
If the people of that state want no fossil fuels. Take them away. Good luck running everything on solar, wind, and the “2 million degree” thermopower.
Yeah, that'll work.
Let them (The six states - California, New York, Connecticut, Iowa, Rhode Island and Vermont, along with New York City).
And let the fun begins (for the rest of us).
/Just a reminder, Delaware is pretty business friendly, even though we are moving towards the wrong direction.
I think they're going for the Guinness record unemployment.
Shooting for 100% WOOHoo!
Will Californians be going to Mexico to look for work once all the nasty fossil fuels are gone from their state?
I suppose he has to start pedaling to get the lights to work? :)
The new Pace Car for Nascar
“Can we file against them for all the job losses they`ll cause?”
I want to sue California in order to recover my increased costs of virtually everything that requires chemicals or energy to produce. Those decisions also affect people across state lines.
California is thinking about their short-term budget deficits.
ROFLMAO!
This schitzophrenic sentence is both encouraging and disheartening.
First, it assumes that it has been demonstrated, scientifically, that man not only contributes significantly to global warming, and also can affect, in any way, a reduction in global warming.
The world has been doing that for millions of years, and the recent science frauds are lost on the politicians.
But more importantly, it suggests that the California Legislature and the environmentmental organizations are different groups.
Those organizations paid for and own the legislature, many of whom are dumber than a sackful of hammers.
I just wish individual citizens could participate as "Friends of the Court."
More than most people realize, since that "precious" water is simultaneously reserved exclusively for bugs and fish and bunnies to the exclusion of humans.
Ask me how the lack of water allowed to agriculture is affecting the food supply for the entire state... At one time the Sacramento/San Joaquin Valleys produced 80% of the fresh vegetables consumed in the entire U.S.A.
Is a fighting war the only solution?
I don't see how it can be avoided, and it won't be pretty --- for the mindless militant vegetables.
That is essentially what the fight is about.
The State has already officially declared, arbitrarily, that CO2 is a harmful gas. I guess vegetation worldwide doesn't have a voice or a vote.
Water vapor is next.
Unfortunately, there are no California laws yet against ignorance and stupidity.
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