Worldwide Emerging Environmental Issues Affecting the U.S. Military. October 2006 Report
Abstract
The New Zealand High Court has ruled that climate change factors can be considered during Greenpeace's upcoming appeal against the proposed Marsden B coal-burning power station. Greenpeace appealed the permission granted to the Marsden B power station to start burning coal, on grounds of environmental and mainly climate change consequences. Although this ruling is limited to New Zealand and to a specific industry, it creates a precedent with effects likely to be felt in other jurisdictions and sectors. In November, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear the case of Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency (case 05-1120) filed by twelve states and several cities on EPA's role to regulate CO2 as a greenhouse gas pollutant under the Clean Air Act. Over 16 other litigations are pending in U.S. federal and state courts against companies whose emissions are linked to global warming; more are expected to come. Swiss Re, the world's largest reinsurance company, estimates that the annual liability costs of global warming will be $150 billion dollars per year within ten years.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA528476