Suing Big Corporate Polluters

First it was tobacco, then fast food, now lawyers are looking at big car makers, oil companies, and utilities. With more than fifteen cases pending, big corporations with a history of polluting the environment are nervously looking over their shoulder.

It's a very negative way of changing the way business sees the environment, but anything that makes large corporations think about how they treat the environment has to be a good thing. It's a pity we need the stick rather than the carrot to change though.

Global Warming: Here Come The Lawyers
"As with tobacco, plaintiffs are trying out a variety of legal theories, some quite speculative. Judges and juries, however, particularly in hard-hit areas like the Gulf Coast, may be inclined to sympathize with even legally marginal claims. The Hurricane Katrina suit filed by Maples in Mississippi alleges that the emission of carbon dioxide is a "nuisance" under common law." BusinessWeek

>> Big Business, Car Makers, Climate Change, Environment