Indiana is one of 15 states that pushed for a federal district court to dismiss a lawsuit against oil and gas companies that contribute to climate issues. The states got their wish this week.
The cities that brought the suit — San Francisco and Oakland, California — say these companies put greenhouse gases into the air. That causes sea levels to rise, which creates a “nuisance” for the state of California.
But the judge dismissed the case, saying it’s not the court’s place to decide an issue that affects a global economy. Janet McCabe is a professor at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law and works with IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute. She says the plaintiffs weren’t asking for the court to develop a global climate policy.
“But rather that this judge recognize that this activity is having an impact on other people. That there should be some recognition of responsibility,” says McCabe.
