Judge advances global warming lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO – A federal judge has advanced a lawsuit against the government over its funding of overseas projects that environmental groups claim contribute to climate change.

The lawsuit, filed by environmental groups and four U.S. cities, claims that the overseas projects will harm the U.S. environment because the effects of global warming will be felt at home, and seeks to require the same environmental reviews that are required for domestic projects.


The Bush administration had argued last year that the “alleged impacts of global climate change are too remote and speculative” to require the reviews.

But in allowing the lawsuit to proceed, U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White on Friday cast doubt on the administration’s assertion that disagreements remain about the connection between human activity and climate change. He also cited increased attention on the issue in the news and entertainment media, including Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.”

AP