A judge in the US has thrown out a lawsuit seeking to hold car manufacturers accountable for global warming. The state of California was claiming millions of dollars from General Motors, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler and Nissan but a federal court has ruled that the matter is political and not legal (Mercury News, AFP, AP, NY Times, BBC). District Judge Martin Jenkins said a court "injecting itself into the global warming thicket at this juncture would require an initial policy determination of the type reserved for the political branches of government” (various).

Californian officials are considering an appeal. “Obviously, we’re very disappointed with the ruling, and we’re going to read it very carefully. We certainly have the ability to file an appeal with the Ninth Circuit and that will be a part of our calculation,” Ken Alex, the state’s supervising deputy attorney general, told AFP.

Theodore Boutrous Jr, lawyer for the car companies concerned, said, “Our bottom-line point is that global warming presents exceedingly complex policy issues that must be addressed at the national and international levels by Congress and the president, not through lawsuits seeking damages in the federal courts. We are pleased that Judge Jenkins agreed and dismissed this lawsuit” (NY Times).

Image: Getty