Climate Lawsuits Fail Overseas, Too

It’s not just here in California and New York that climate change lawsuits are being dismissed. Over in Britain a similar lawsuit has just been dismissed:

Environmental campaigners lose High Court battle over carbon target

Environmental campaigners have lost their High Court challenge against the Government over its policy for tackling climate change. Charity Plan B Earth brought legal action against the Government’s stance on the 2050 carbon target, set under the Climate Change Act 2008.

The charity and 11 UK citizens aged nine to 79 – including publisher Dame Carmen Callil – wanted to bring a judicial review against Business Secretary Greg Clark over the policy. But Mr Justice Supperstone rejected Plan B Earth’s case on Friday, saying it was “unarguable”. . .

But, refusing permission for a full hearing, Mr Justice Supperstone said Plan B Earth’s arguments were based on an “incorrect interpretation” of the Paris Agreement. He said: “In my view the Secretary of State was plainly entitled … to refuse to change the 2050 target at the present time. “I do not consider it arguable that the Secretary of State’s refusal to amend the 2050 target is an unlawful exercise of his discretion.”

Discretion in the executive branch? Ah—it seems the administrative state is just as strong on Britain as it is here. And as Trump is proving, live by executive power, die by executive power.

Meanwhile, apparently the political class in Baltimore didn’t get the memo from the federal judges who rejected the California and New York climate lawsuits:

Baltimore joins cities filing climate change lawsuits against fossil fuel companies

Baltimore on Friday became the latest city to file a lawsuit against oil and gas giants seeking to hold the companies financially responsible for contributing to global climate change.

The city filed a suit challenging BP, Exxon, Shell Oil and 23 other oil and gas giants that do business in the city, accusing the companies of knowingly emitting harmful carbon dioxide pollution. The lawsuit, which seeks damages and legal penalties from the companies, cites eight alleged offenses including failure to warn the public and public nuisance. . .

Friday’s suit is the latest in a string of similar cases –– many of which have been promptly thrown out by courts –– that cities across the U.S. have filed challenging fossil fuel companies for knowingly contributing and profiting off of a product that directly contributes to climate change.

The suit follows on the heels of a case dismissed by a federal judge in New York on Thursday evening.

I guess Baltimore is doing such a great job fighting crime that they have time on their hands to save the world.

Clearly someone should file one of these cases in Hawaii.

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