This is a great idea. I hope we see a lot more of this.

Attorney General Bill Lockyer today filed a lawsuit against leading U.S. and Japanese auto manufacturers, alleging their vehicles’ emissions have contributed significantly to global warming, harmed the resources, infrastructure and environmental health of California, and cost the state millions of dollars to address current and future effects.

“Global warming is causing significant harm to California’s environment, economy, agriculture and public health. The impacts are already costing millions of dollars and the price tag is increasing,” said Lockyer. “Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act. It is time to hold these companies responsible for their contribution to this crisis.”

Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the complaint names as defendants: Chrysler Motors Corporation, General Motors Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Toyota Motor North America, Inc., Honda North America, and Nissan North America. The lawsuit is the first of its kind to seek to hold manufacturers liable for the damages caused by greenhouse gases that their products emit. Lockyer filed the lawsuit on behalf of the People of the State of California.

Now, I suspect he’s going to have a hard time with this, given how long it took the tabacco lawsuits to produce actual money for the states, as well as the nature of our Republican-packed federal courts. But still, it’s an idea that we need to be talking about more. And even if this nation proves to be too much in the hands of corporate bandits, there are other countries who are not. If I were a big oil exec, I’d be a tad worried about similar lawsuits from nations like the Netherlands, who are going to have to spend greater amounts each year just keeping the dykes functional.