Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Lawsuits Against Corporations Due To Global Warming

This article tells of a lawsuit by eight states, New York City and three land trusts against certain corporations holding them responsible for global warming in their respective areas.

While I do not think such a lawsuit will be successful in terms of any damages awarded, I hope that many people will become aware of it. Sure, it can be easily dismissed as a frivilous lawsuit by those who want to give that impression; however, it brings up a point I spoke about previously. That is that as it stands for the most part, companies can do as they please in terms of pollution (yes, I realize there are some regulations out there curbing some pollution) and not have to pay anything. But there is a major cost to the pollution. Even global-warming deniers should acknowledge the health problems that can come about due to pollution such as higher incidences of asthma in children. This adds a cost and decreases quality of life for those affected and their families. Those affected have a cost as a result and if they cannot pay for their medical care, we all bear the burden of that cost as well.

So while many may laugh off this lawsuit, I strongly feel that it will be successful if more and more people can see, as a result of the lawsuit, that the true cost of goods are often not considered when a price is determined. These corporations, working in our free market, actually pass much of the cost to the consumer and those who do not consume their products.

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