The Second US Circuit Court of Appeals rules that the CO2 coming out of power plants is a “public nuisance.” The land-mark decision opens up big utilities to lawsuits from groups of people affected by climate change.
In a landmark case, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that carbon dioxide emissions do qualify as a “public nuisance.” The decision means that states and land trusts can sue power companies to make them curb their greenhouse gas emissions. Host Steve Curwood asks Pat Parenteau, a professor at Vermont Law School, whether the court’s lead on climate will spur other branches of government into action.