Chicago Sun-Times
April 1, 2007
SAN FRANCISCO -- A federal judge has advanced a lawsuit against the government over its funding of overseas projects that environmental groups say contribute to climate change.
The lawsuit, filed by environmental groups and four U.S. cities, claims the overseas projects will hurt 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 argued last year that the ''alleged impacts of global climate change are too remote and speculative'' to require the reviews.
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 media, including Al Gore's documentary, ''An Inconvenient Truth.''
The lawsuit names two agencies -- the Overseas Private Investment Corp. and the Export-Import Bank of the United States -- that insure billions of dollars of U.S. investors' money for foreign projects, including power plants that emit greenhouse gases.
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